Written in Blood
by Sakurafox666
Summary: Scott's path was set for him the day he killed Jennifer, one that would be written in blood. People were right to fear what he could become.
1. Chapter 1

**Trigger Warning**: I labeled the sex scene in this chapter as non-con, technically it's dub-con, but it can still trigger people so please read with caution! The scene appears at the end of the chapter.

**A/N:** Diverges from season 3A when Derek doesn't believe Peter's bullshit and so Cora dies, but Derek remains an alpha. He teams up with Jennifer to ultimately betray her and help Scott. Jennifer wounds Kali, but she doesn't die and starts to heal before the eclipse, managing to drag herself to the clinic where the twins are healing. Basically everyone is still an alpha (except Peter, as always). However, since Scott kills Jennifer before the eclipse Deucalion's sight was never restored.

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* * *

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Scott's claws sunk deep, cutting through tendons and slicing the jugular. Jennifer's blood splashed on the ground and his fate sealed. It just wasn't the fate people assumed.

Scott felt the change as it came over him, a darkness that clicked in his mind, spreading through his blood and seeping into his person. Deucalion had believed killing Jennifer would destroy him, that by killing an innocent he could not become a true alpha.

Problem was, Jennifer wasn't an innocent. And as her body hit the floor, Scott's powers came to fruition, fully developed and cementing his dominance. His eyes swirled to life with red energy and he could feel the two wolves next to him tense. Scott was a true alpha now, at the expense of the boy he had been.

A delicate whisper brushed across his mind, chest ringing hollow as something died inside of him. Pressure built behind his eyes and the world was too quiet. Scott didn't understand why, but his instincts screamed to howl and he caved against the onslaught of whirling emotions. Long and loud, his cry carried across the cold night, burning through muscles until they ached. Pain and confusion washed away with the power he could feel rushing through him; he let it consume all doubts.

"Scott?" Derek called from the ground, voice carefully neutral. He and Deucalion collapsed at Scott's roar, his command sending them back into human form weakened, judging by the slight tremble in their bodies.

It dragged Scott's racing mind to a halt; he could control alphas—even demon wolves—with just his voice. Power on this scale was something he'd never thought or cared to achieve. Glancing down at his wavering hands, Scott sucked in a deep breath, unchained darkness lurching forward and he stilled as it washed over the world.

His hands slowly unclenched and control bled into his eyes.

"_What have you done?_" Derek turned to Deucalion, eyes flashing and mouth set. The older wolf didn't answer, but Scott could sense the panic rolling off him. He was now everything Deucalion had feared.

"It's fine, Derek," Scott replied, calm and steady, his voice deeper than he remembered and with an authority it never held before. "Be prepared."

"For what—" Derek broke off as a shadow cast itself over them. The wolf vanished from Scott's mind suddenly and the world dulled, becoming less defined.

The lunar eclipse was upon them. The wolf was gone, but the bitter taste of sin lingered and Scott's objective remained.

He strode up to Deucalion, footsteps hard and heavy, and picked him up, slamming him against the wall, held only by Scott's arm. The red was gone from Deucalion's eyes, only a glazed milky blue was left. The man flinched, groaning as his head cracked against the metal.

"Scott!"

Derek made to step forward, but paused as he received a sharp glare from Scott. Without any of his wolf instincts, he still knew what Derek worried about. Scott's true nature came from _him_, not his wolf.

"I'm not going to kill him, Derek," he sighed, but pressed his arm across the other's neck, dominance and security in equal measure. "But things need to be discussed."

The older boy hesitated, but nodded after a moment and stepped back, arms going across his chest as he waited. Green eyes darted between the two wolves and observed. He understood the authority Scott was showcasing, but unsure of who to trust at the moment.

"Didn't realize you had a dark side, Scott," Deucalion said, his tone a feigned nonchalance. If Scott couldn't feel the other man's tremors he might have been convinced.

He spoke in Deucalion's ear, "_You_ brought it out, I guess." Scott felt the stutter in the man's chest. "Tell me, have you ever been truly blind? You've always had your wolf sight to fall back on, right? How does it feel?"

Deucalion may still have been strong for an average human; Scott could feel the solid muscles through his clothes, but Scott was younger, faster, and could see.

As a human, Deucalion was completely helpless and the older man knew it. He guarded his emotions well, but humiliation and shame were easy to scent off of him and he didn't grace Scott with an answer. Overall it didn't matter. After another minute, Scott felt the shadow pass and the moon's power welcome him once more. The wolf reared within him, raw nature merging with his new darkness, and Scott's path was clear.

He stepped back and let Deucalion double over, watching him cough hard.

"My power is absolute," he declared, looking down at his once enemy and felt a sense of entitlement. "Your pack is mine. _Submit_." The command came out as a growl. Deucalion's eyes finally snapped to his, bright red and glowing with a challenge. His pride was still feeling the sting of embarrassment, Scott guessed. Obedience would have to be taught.

What had once felt like an impossible speed, Scott now easily met, dodging Deucalion's fist. So simple to track his movements suddenly, he and his wolf perfectly in sync, they were one now. No longer a battle of wills, but a single mind.

To quell any future thoughts of dissention, he decided to make the lesson quick and painful using the maximum amount of force. Lacrosse training useful as he swept under Deucalion's form, bringing a knee to the his stomach and crushing the air from his lungs. As he stumbled forward, Scott brought an elbow down on the back of his head, stunning the man. From there it was simple; a shove with his foot brought him to the floor, one hand bent an arm behind Deucalion's back and the other pinning his head to the floor.

"_Submit_," Scott ordered, pulling sharply on the arm, causing Deucalion to grit his teeth. "I will _not_ ask again."

Deucalion twisted his head and red eyes found Scott's. It felt eternal, their heated stare, but it broke when the older wolf snarled at him.

It figured. If Deucalion was guilty of one sin, it would be pride.

With no hesitation or warning, Scott pulled the other up by his hair and bit down deeply in to the exposed length of neck. Deucalion thrashed, knowing what it meant, a pained "—_No!_" slipped from his lips before Scott clenched harder, asserting his dominance and the older wolf's voice choking out into a sob. Scott glanced up and saw Derek's eyes widen at the sight. As a born werewolf he knew exactly what this established: Scott's mark claimed Deucalion as _his_. A submissive in every sense of the word.

Scott held on a little longer, wanting the bite to take as long as possible to heal so that everyone would know. The only way to break pride was to completely crush it. He felt Deucalion go limp in his grasp, finally docile, and Scott released him, standing up as the other collapsed to the floor.

"Scott..."

Derek looked torn and Scott wiped his mouth as he met his gaze.

"I'm the Alpha," he reiterated, "but my pack is one short, and I could use someone I trust."

"What?" Derek frowned, body clenched tight and coiled, ready to fight if need be. "You mean me? You want me to join _your_ pack?"

"You're an alpha," Scott clarified. "You were never given a chance to develop as one, though. Not with everything happening and trying to form your pack with barely any time. It was unfair. With me, we could finally be pack, like you always wanted." Scott walked up to the older boy, keeping his voice gentle. He knew what Derek craved. "We could be brothers. It'd take time, but you could have a family again." They were face to face and Scott pressed their foreheads together, a hand coming up to rest at the base of Derek's neck.

Now he understood why wolves were so physical; it was in their nature. With one touch he could communicate dominance and with another, his concern. "I've rejected you before and I'm sorry. This time, I'm asking _you_. Please Derek, join my pack, be _my_ beta. Don't be alone anymore." He could tell when his words broke the other wolf, when he had won.

Scott knew Derek and what he wanted; everyone's got a weakness.

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* * *

.

Finding the twins and Kali was a simple matter of knowing where to look.

Only one place for injured werewolves to go during an eclipse to heal. At the clinic, a single glance at Deucalion's neck and they knew who their new leader was. Aiden moved to check on Deucalion, but a snarl from Scott taught him his place.

Lydia cowered in a corner, tears in her eyes, but mouth firm. She had figured out immediately that Scott was different, but she always had been clever. Scott entertained a brief thought of inviting her to his pack, having a banshee would be useful, but he knew he could never trust her. She was far too smart for him and he would always have to be on his guard.

"I'm sorry Lydia." The sincerity was real, a part of Scott that was fading regretted all of this. "Tell the others not to follow me. There's nothing left to save."

There were two loose ends; something Scott couldn't leave unfinished and he gave Derek his first task as an alpha.

"Listen, I need you to do this for me, it's important." Scott eyed the horizon and scented the air. "_Peter_." Derek's eyes grew aggressive at the mention of his manipulative uncle. "Kill him, I don't care how. Just bring me back his heart as proof, that should keep him dead this time."

He could feel the longing in Derek's body, Scott knew Derek held his own misgivings about Peter. Cora was dead because he couldn't be trusted. It was a common known fact that Peter was only looking out for himself. Derek only needed a slight push from his Alpha.

An hour later the older boy returned splattered with blood, claw marks healing on his neck. Clutched in his right hand was a heart, blood dripping from it still. A smile pulled at Scott's face as his beta handed it to him. It felt cold against his palm, a weighted lump of meat becoming sticky as it dried in the winter air. Scott looked down and wondered why he had waited so long to take out someone clearly so dangerous.

"He begged for his life," Derek admitted sourly to him. "Like I'm sure Laura might have, if she hadn't been ripped in half."

"He was insane, Derek," Scott assured him. "I don't think there was anything human left in him." He crushed the heart in his palm, red sliding through his fingers and trickling to the ground.

The last task he did himself.

The worst of Kali's cuts were still healing and the twins had yet to be at full strength. They left the clinic and Deaton's judgmental eyes, but not the town. They were too weak for Scott's taste.

Away from the others, Scott crowded Deucalion up against a tree, hands sliding up along his sides, caging him. Although silent, Scott watched as the older wolf's claws sunk into the tree behind them, heart pounding hard enough against his chest that Scott could feel it as he pressed closer. Deucalion's walking stick had been left behind at the distillery and he had been forced to rely on Scott to guide him through touch and direction.

It was the most vulnerable he had ever seen the older man, steps awkward if Scott got too far ahead of him, head turning at every small sound. The boy relished all of the humiliation and control he had over him now; the ability to leave the other stranded if he wished. Or to amuse himself and disappear into the shadows, only to slip close and startle the man with inappropriate groping. The sense of power was exhilarating and made Scott's head spin with anticipation. He ghosted a breath across Deucalion's neck, knowing he was more sensitive when blind, and watched as goose bumps rose across his skin at the sensation.

Leaning forward, he pushed a thumb against his bite mark until Deucalion whimpered, mouth a tense line. After several seconds he eased the pressure and swiped a tongue over the developing bruise, savoring the taste of iron and sweat. When Deucalion made no noise, Scott switched to sucking on the spot, scraping his teeth against abused skin. Running on instinct, he moaned, sending vibrations through his unwilling partner. It took a minute, but eventually the older wolf gave a restrained growl and Scott felt his head shift and expose more of his neck, scent changing ever so slightly.

"Good boy," Scott whispered and pulled back swiftly, content on leaving the other wanting. It didn't go over well as Deucalion snapped out of whatever haze he'd been in, eyes sharp red as he shoved against Scott. The younger wolf resisted and slammed the older back against the tree, hand going to Deucalion's throat. Both gave low snarls.

"I'm not _yours_, boy." Scott didn't miss how Deucalion twisted the words. Hot rage welled up in him, chest seizing and darkness slicing at his thoughts. His free hand clenched coarse bronze hair, forcing Deucalion to his knees, tightening his grip on the bared throat before him. A small part of him was terrified at the fury of an alpha being refused a claim, of a submissive denying ownership.

Scott fought to not kill the man before him.

His voice was savage as he spoke. "You _are_ mine." The feral possessiveness of his statement seemed to slap Deucalion in the face. His eyes faded to blue against his will, fangs withdrawing. Frustration radiated from his scent, but as Scott's eyes glowed red in dominance, it faltered and his breath caught. "_Mine_," Scott repeated. His claws dug into smooth flesh, blood trickling down an exposed length.

Deucalion struggled to speak, fought to move, but his own body seemed to be stopping him. Scott observed in growing interest as Deucalion's whole body froze, taut with strain, as his scent completely shifted to something new—different, and after another moment Scott realized what it was. The whine Deucalion gave was equal parts lustful and pathetic and on some level Scott knew he'd won.

It wasn't a smile, but lips pulled back to reveal sharp teeth at the hunger that came to him.

"See? Your body knows its place," Scott challenged, claws receding and he caressed the man's neck. Deucalion's face had gone blank but his overly bright, dulled eyes betrayed his devastation. "You deserve something for this surrender."

"_Kill me_," he outright begged, no trace of shame in his voice.

"No." Scott sunk down to his knees, now level with the distraught wolf and trailed his hand up Deucalion's chest, scratching, until he reached his face, tracing with gentle fingers over sightless eyes. He smirked as a single tear ran down Deucalion's face and gripped his chin.

"Instead, I think I'll bring you the head of the man who took your sight." Scott watched Deucalion's jerk with interest, his mask slipping and shock overriding his misery. "Or, you know, whatever part of him you want. I don't care _that_ much."

"Why?" Eyes flashed red as Deucalion glared at Scott, face wretched.

"He's a threat." The boy leaned closer until he was next to Deucalion's ear, a clawed finger carefully traced down the side of the his cheek. "And he damaged something that's _mine_. I'm paying him back." He didn't miss the shudder that went through Deucalion at his words, or the desolate sob of acceptance.

Scott would like to say it hadn't been satisfying to rip apart a man who was wheelchair bound and disabled, but he'd be lying. While Derek was covered in red, Scott's clothes were soaked in black and he found it fitting.

In the end, he decided to bring back Gerard's eyes.

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* * *

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Scott turned as they finally left Beacon Hills, on the ridge he and Allison used to meet at a lifetime ago. The sun was just rising, the storm having passed. For a moment the world looked new, clean and certainty burned in Scott; this was no place for a pack of alphas. The regret passed and the only thing left in its place was a hunger for power and shadows dancing in the back of his mind. The boy was dead.

Raising his head, Scott gave one last howl.

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* * *

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They didn't stop for two days. Scott wanted to be as far from Beacon Hills, and the hunters living there, as possible. Whatever fallout there was to be had for his actions, he would not be there to see it and neither would his pack, but they could only go so far for so long. Scott and Derek were the only ones at full strength and the strain was starting to show. When Kali threatened to disembowel Ethan for breathing too loud, Scott called for a break at the first hotel they came upon.

The only choice was a Motel 6, but Scott had slept at worse.

"How do we do this?" he asked Derek, as Scott had maybe twenty dollars on him.

"Laura and I would wait when someone would leave before the checkout cutoff, and then break in and use the remaining time to shower and make some coffee." Derek shrugged. "It worked for the most part. We slept in our car." It sounded dull to Scott, and something that would take more time than he'd care to spend with his pack in the shape they were.

"Kali, kill the manager." Scott frowned as he realized the mess that would create, but didn't miss the way his female alpha's eyes lit up, though.

"There's an easier way," Deucalion interjected, unamused.

At Scott's growl, Ethan jumped in, "Don't worry, we can pay for it. That's what we always do."

"With what money?" Scott questioned and glared when Deucalion stayed silent, still showing some resistance against him. That it was in front of the pack was what grated on Scott.

"Does it _really_ matter?" Kali crossed her arms, vein twitching in her neck, and Scott knew she was about to hit her limit.

"Fine. Aiden, take Deucalion and get four rooms. I'd go but..." He gestured to the dried black substance covering most of his clothes, not that Derek or Kali looked any better. Scott hoped they had a washer and dryer unit somewhere.

Ethan tilted his head and Scott saw him mentally count out their pack. "Four?"

"You and your brother are sharing. Complaints?" Scott flashed his eyes red and the young wolf quickly backpedaled.

"No, none."

It didn't take very long to get the rooms sorted out and Scott was glad to have a place to finally rest. He nodded to Kali and Derek as they entered their separate rooms before going into his own. He waited a moment for Deucalion to follow stiffly, neck red. Scott closed the door with a snap and threw off his shirt.

"I'm taking a shower, do what you want." He kicked off his jeans as he entered the bathroom, pausing as he passed the mirror. He couldn't place it, it might have been his gaze, nothing physical, but something. A glint of a wild predator lurked within his eyes, caged and pacing. He felt heavier? Like something had solidified in him, something dark, something dense and strong and lethal. Scott's fingers brushed the glass, outlining out his features. It didn't matter, did it?

The tepid hotel water rushed down his back, black slowly sliding off his skin, though he didn't feel any cleaner. Memories tried to surface, snippets of faces and voices. A smile in the forest and the smell of flowers. Scott closed his eyes and let the clatter of droplets and smothering darkness chase away what he had left behind. He didn't want to remember anything.

Then the urge hit.

Hot and coiled in his stomach, it was almost suffocating, but powerful and urgent. His claws slid out, an automatic instinct, and he struggled to control himself until he realized that there was no point and gave in.

He stepped out of the shower and barely toweled himself off, his vision flickered with spots dancing around as he tried to maintain focus. Impulse tore at his already frayed mind and hormones rushed through his system making him sweat. He fumbled for the door and barged back into the bedroom where Deucalion sat, shoulders tense. Simply the sight of him drove Scott wild.

He attacked Deucalion with a ferocity he was only just starting to realize he possessed. Deucalion's eyes flashed to red in panic as they fell back onto the bed, hands shoving against Scott's chest in a frantic scrape. They wrestled for a moment trying to gain leverage over the other, before Scott grabbed Deucalion's wrists and slammed them to the side, claws sinking into his wrists, drawing blood. They both growled, though Scott's was in dominance while Deucalion's held fear. Something flickered in his eyes then, deeper than fear. Scott watched, realizing for a moment Deucalion fought someone else, caught up in a past horror. His back arched as he tried to throw the younger man off, but it only enticed Scott more. He leaned down and brought the man back to the present with—it wasn't a kiss, more like biting the other's lips and jaw as Deucalion thrashed underneath him.

"Stop fighting."

Scott grinned, part of him thrilled with the struggle. Happy that _his_ alpha would not simply submit to anyone. It made conquering him that much sweeter. The urge pushed against his mind and he lashed out, snapping at Deucalion's neck, teeth sinking into flesh and wrenching a pained groan from him. Scott switched to the other side, savoring the taste and sounds, relishing as terrible longing could be picked out in the cries. At least until Deucalion elbowed him in the face ending Scott's playfulness there.

They grappled again, claws out, as Scott forced Deucalion on his stomach, straddling the back of his thighs, pulling his arms taut behind his back. The teen bit at the backside of the exposed length of neck, holding tightly even as Deucalion resisted and tried to twist his body. It took a few minutes, but the fight finally seeped out of him and he sagged into the bed, breath ragged.

Scott carefully eased his jaw. "We can do this with what's left of your dignity intact or I can _take_ my pleasure and leave you with nothing."

He changed his grip so that he was holding both Deucalion's arms with one hand while the other trailed down his side, sliding up his shirt and meeting flesh. It went over well for another few seconds before Deucalion lashed out with his legs, unseating Scott and sending him forward into the other's back.

Something snapped in Scott's chest and before he could think, his body had reacted, lashing out with his palm as he stabbed at Deucalion's right shoulder. His grin returned at the satisfying pop that sounded and his claws raked across the older man's chest, shredding his shirt that Scott ripped off with one hand. He rolled Deucalion onto his back, enjoying the grunt of pain from him as it jolted his dislocated shoulder. Scott ravished the chest below him, breaking skin with both teeth and claws, not even attempting to draw pleasure from the other. When he moved to rip off the jeans Deucalion halted him with his functional hand.

"No _wait_," Deucalion cried out, it somehow both a command and begging. Scott growled dangerously. "I can—I'll remove them myself." His jaw set, Deucalion's stubbornness was bellied by the fear in his scent. Still, defiant to the end, his pride struggled against indignity. It was never meant to be a simple submission.

Scott nodded, letting the insolence pass as Deucalion was still complying, and watched as the man fumbled with his pants trying to undo and remove them with one hand. His mind screamed with a demanding hunger so loudly it started to hurt and Scott blew out a harsh breath of impatience, moving to help and noticing Deucalion's flinch. With a sharp pull he popped his shoulder back in, making the man give a muffled scream as he bit his good arm to silence himself.

The sight of seeing Deucalion mark himself called to something primal in Scott and he rushed forward, grabbing the limb and licking slowly at the wound, lapping up the blood. Spice. It was like spice that tingled with electricity. Underneath him, Deucalion made a strange choking noise, like catching a moan before it could be release. Since he was now obeying, Scott decided to be nice and tugged off the man's shoes, tapping the jeans with purpose when he was done. Deucalion's breath was shaky with pain, but he nodded and jerked off the article.

Scott threw him back down onto the bed, claws raking down the sides of his legs as he scented the older wolf. Deucalion was half hard, surprisingly, even after everything. Scott's grin was predatory as he bent down and licked the head of Deucalion's member, hearing the surprised gasp from the other turn into a strained moan. Scott looked up, watching the change happen. Deucalion's scent shifted again, against his will, hormones matching up with Scott's to satisfy his alpha. It was beautiful to watch, Scott reveled in it, and looked on as Deucalion's features twisted from disgust and self-loathing to bitter longing and pleasure as his body temperature spiked.

Scott sat back up and surveyed his prize. "Touch yourself," he commanded. Deucalion was startled at his order and for a second seemed unsure, fighting with himself. Scott took the moment to examine the other's eyes, finding them endlessly fascinating in their color as they alternated from milky red to blue and clearing when his wolf vision triggered. The panic never left his eyes, confusion and denial clearly reflected, when they flashed up to Scott in anger, his excitement peaked at their fury and the moment seemed to last until it grew almost painful. Scott sunk his nails into the legs draped around his waist in warning, too eager to be kept waiting any longer.

"You can have some semblance of control or _I_ can take it from here," he threatened. His growl sent a shiver down Deucalion's spine. "I wonder how much I could _make _you do to yourself?" It was something to consider. Deucalion's scent finally shifted to complete lust and he lost the battle he'd been fighting. He slowly reached down with a trembling hand and bushed across his cock, wincing before grabbing hold and giving slow stokes. Scott didn't miss how red his face had gone. He gave a few more directions, of where and how to touch, relishing in the degradation.

"Don't use your eyes," Scott commanded. Deucalion's eyes flickered to milky blue in their sightlessness. "Your sense of touch is heightened when you can't see, right?"

He slid a gentle hand down the man's muscled chest, taunt from arousal, and tweaked at the hardened nipples to draw a groan from his partner—lower past his abdomen and coarse curls of pubic hair to heated flesh that drove Scott into a wild passion as he scented the other. Deucalion's own hand was pumping roughly at his shaft like Scott had instructed, the other hand white-knuckled and clutching the sheet underneath him. The boy's hand joined his strokes, clawed fingers carefully playing across his member.

Scott watched in utter delight as Deucalion grew even harder. His scent was so strong of fear and humiliation, but his body reacted in desire. Even as he was splayed out in front of his enemy, exposed and toyed with, his cock only grew firmer, darkening in color. Could this only be his hormones controlling the wolf, or was it something more? Scott's heart pounded against his chest as his own excitement peaked at the display.

"You _like_ this," he whispered in slight awe. An idea came to him. "Stop." He halted Deucalion's hand with his own. "Grip yourself here," he said and then guided the hand to clench the base of his cock. "Do nothing else until I say so."

Deucalion's face was flushed, entire body drenched in sweat from the fight, arousal, and anxiety. Scott's stomach curled in pleasure as he extended his fangs out and leaned down, latching teeth neatly around the other wolf's erection, pressing down just enough to leave indents but not break the skin. Instantly Scott heard Deucalion's gasp, breathing jagged and uneven, stuttering slightly as his body shivered at the display of dominance. He tasted bitter salt as precome steadily dripped from the tip as the flesh in his teeth swelled even more. Deucalion's grip tightened around himself.

Sweat dripped down his forehead, face pulled taut in panic. Tears gathered at his eyes. Distress was clear to distinguish but the smell of lust and the sight of his now compliant body spread out was too much; the power made Scott's mind heady as Deucalion's scent assaulted him, teetering between terror and ecstasy. The boy languidly dragged his teeth up, careful not to draw blood, tongue pressed against burning skin. A broken sound came from Deucalion, chest heaving and cock twitching. Scott licked the tip as he pulled away, grinning as he saw Deucalion's now trembling hand still holding himself tight, trying not to come.

Finally this close, Scott batted the hand away, dragging a whine from his companion, which he silenced with a snarl and a harsh nip to the neck.

"My turn," he whispered and flipped the other over. "This will hurt."

His own erection was throbbing and the urge was practically consuming his mind. Upon realizing what he was about to do, Deucalion came out of his haze and tried to push against his chest.

"Wait, Scott, we need—"

Scott thrust in violently. Which might have been a mistake as it _hurt_. Not as much as it hurt Deucalion, who screamed into the mattress, body clenching around Scott's. The pain was swallowed up quickly by the shadows swirling within his mind and across his vision, dampening his hearing as chaos seemed to sing around him. Scott shoved in again, pulling in closer until he was next to Deucalion's ear.

"Don't call me Scott," he said harshly and then began the most brutal pace that he could. There was blood. And then, more blood; all over the sheets. Physically, Scott didn't think it was pleasurable for either of them, although the blood did make things easier on his end. But the power in his mind, the darkness, the urge that consumed drove him to go faster, to take more. Scott was a slave to it, too far gone to care about anything else. When he came into the older wolf it felt like something else was sealed, as if everything he was before had been completely swallowed up.

The smirk that came to his face felt new and stretched his muscles in a way he wasn't used to. He leaned back over Deucalion, ignoring the quiet sobs the other just couldn't quite cover up and mouthed into his ear. "I'm the alpha, call me that."

He rolled off and realized that another shower was in order. Scott was grateful there were two beds in the room as the first one was ruined. When Scott exited the bathroom again Deucalion was exactly where he'd left him, although he had curled in on himself. Scott heaved a sigh as he flopped down on the second bed.

"First time?" he asked callously, trying cruelness on his tongue and liking it. After a moment, Deucalion made a noise and it took Scott a second to realize it had been a laugh.

"No," he answered bitterly.

"Not the sex," Scott insisted, "I meant—"

"_No_," Deucalion repeated. "Not my first time." Scott blinked at that, not having expected it.

"Ok." He shrugged. "Take a shower. Don't try anything later; I'm not in the mood."

Scott turned and lay on his back, eyes falling shut for an instant before realizing he was being watched. He glanced at Deucalion's red eyes. They were searching, confused, bitter, accusing and a tiny part of Scott wanted to cry. It was quickly engulfed, like a heavy layer air pressed onto him, muting the world.

"What?" he managed to get out. "You're the one who _made_ me. Didn't you want me to become this?" And how he enjoyed seeing the older man's eyes widen and understanding seep into them. As darkness had claimed Scott's, he watched as something cleared in Deucalion's, a sort of taint faded. The young alpha could have kept looking, but he was tired and didn't care what revelations the older man came to. He turned over and fell asleep.

Deucalion might have said something to him, but it was too late.

.

* * *

.

It was decided they should pick up right where Deucalion left off. A pack of alphas roaming the country attacking other packs already had such strong lore behind it that Scott didn't want to ruin the story. The only change was that a boy led the pack: a true alpha.

Scott learned quickly how to manage his new pack and what each wolf needed. He took out most of his darkness and rage on Deucalion behind closed doors, but tried to be careful. He loved the small spark of resistance left in the other. It was their spars in the bedroom he hungered after, to see Deucalion struggle against his new position. Scott was mindful not to destroy that spark no matter how much he hurt the man. Likewise, Deucalion seemed relentless against Scott; something drove him to meet the younger wolf. Scott could not figure out what Deucalion was fighting for, as pride was barely an issue, but he didn't think too hard on it.

The twins came with part of his care of Deucalion. It took less than a week for him to realize the twins needed to spend time with the older wolf, Aiden especially, or they became erratic with mistrust and were useless to Scott. If he let Deucalion spend time in their room or with them while they traveled, the two mellowed out and became dependable and dedicated to the pack, prioritizing Scott's orders and respecting the others.

Most nights Deucalion would spend with Scott, not in the same bed, but the same room. When Scott could sense the other was truly close to breaking, he would send him to the twin's room, not surprised the next morning to find the three curled up against each other. It wasn't anything sexual, but that simple touch comforted them.

Kali was loyal, which surprised Scott far more than he was comfortable with. She had sized him up the instant he had walked in to the clinic the night of his change and apparently liked what she saw. The fact Scott let her do most of the killing probably helped matters. She was a wonderful shock trooper; always willing to kill to show how serious their pack was. Not only did Scott let her kill, he let her have fun. She proved a fine tactician that nearly matched Deucalion when Scott asked for input and respected the others enough to leave them and their affairs alone.

Derek was different from the rest of the pack but in the best of ways. He was the only one who could call Scott by his name anymore. The only one Scott would really talk to about anything outside of their hunts. He never berated Scott on the path he'd taken, never judged. He was simply there for the young teen. When they were alone together, generally outside a crappy motel or deep in a forest, Scott could almost forget about what he'd become. Derek was the only one who could sleep with Scott. It wasn't sexual, like with Deucalion, but a sign of trust.

Scott and Deucalion would plan nearly every raid on other packs, it was the one time Scott would refer to the other's experience. Kali would then completely destroy any of the first wolves to attack, Scott unleashing her full fury and power with the twins close behind, leaving raw destruction in their wake. Derek would stay close to Scott and Deucalion, always acting as guard and wary of others getting too close to his alpha. The only wolves Scott would ever kill were the alphas, intent on testing their power and his limits.

When a wolf would charge at Scott and Deucalion, it was exciting if someone managed to break through his four beta-alphas. Perhaps they took Deucalion's blindness for weakness or Scott's youth for inexperience. His demon wolf would show how costly of a mistake that was. If an alpha charged at them then Scott would step forward. He released everything within him including the dark pull in his mind and each urge that came from it. When that happened, it took his entire pack to subdue his bloodlust.

Within four months Scott's pack was known world-wide.

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**A/N:** Can't believe it took me this long to finally post but this is my master work that I've been writing for...idk a long time now. I started writing this after watching 3B, realized how long it was getting, found myself a beta, and then kept writing. This story is much more than I ever planned it to be so I split it up into 4 parts. Part one is called Heart of Darkness (cliche I know) and each part will have several chapters in it.

On that note, for those concerned with the dark nature of the story; I've yet to be able to write a story without a happy ending. This story does go dark places, and explore the darker nature of humanity and of one character in particular, but this is a four part story for a reason. As with any fallen hero, redemption is always there to find even if it's a long and difficult path.

Also this story wouldn't be half as good without my amazing beta Stately Demented, as she goes on FF . net, with her help I found focus on this story and she really helped keep Scott and Deucalion stay true to their character. She is the most amazing beta someone could ask for! Also, big thank you to LukyAnC over on DeviantART for doing the cover art! It's perfect and I love it!

Finally thanks to all my readers who've been waiting for this, the Scott/Deucalion is a small ship and it can be rough out there. This is for you guys so that we have another story to add to the pile to call our own.

For those who want to get new chapters faster I post first on AO3 under the same name in the Scott/Deucalion tag. (WOW ff . net does NOT like posting links my GOD)

Or follow me on Tumblr at: ellewood117 at tumblr dot com


	2. Chapter 2

**Warning**: Just a heads up that there is _some_ beastiality at the end of the chapter, if that's not your thing then just skip over. It's not that long or super graphic just an idea I had about Deucalion after seeing how he reacted to Talia transforming.

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The air was filled with heated breath and short gasps as Scott shoved Deucalion forward against the worn wall, grinding against him as the older wolf snarled. Scott brought his teeth to the exposed neck, biting hard enough to draw blood making Deucalion groan in both pleasure and anger as his fingers scrabbled at the wall in front of him. His wrists were bound loosely by his shirt that served more as a warning to not move his arms than actually restricting him. Scott had unfastened Deucalion's jeans and pushed them down to his thighs, one hand working on opening him up while the other scratched with human nails down his chest. Deucalion gave an agonized whine and pressed his forehead against the wall, breath stuttering and scent changing as Scott stretched him out.

"I did give you permission to touch yourself," Scott reminded and licked a path across Deucalion's collar, nipping harshly to mark his claim, darkness singing in his mind. Of course, he'd only given permission because he knew Deucalion would rather die than participate. Although their fights were no longer a savage ordeal, Deucalion would still not bow to him completely. His determination stoked a fire within Scott. He curled a finger and twisted, making Deucalion bite his lip and whine again, frustration clear.

Scott always did some type of 'foreplay' now, or at least had Deucalion prepare himself, learning his lesson well to never enter another dry. It had the added benefit of exciting Deucalion against his will and that was always something to see. Deeming him ready, Scott pulled himself out and slid into the other with a delicate slowness. Without school or the mysteries of Beacon Hills to satisfy him, Scott had taken to learning everything he could about wolves, particularly the one in front of him. He would spend hours mapping out Deucalion's body and learning how to play him, what made him whine, what had him thrashing in both pain and pleasure, what drove him to the very edge.

A harsh breath was released that was closer to a cough as Scott scraped over Deucalion's prostrate at just the right angle. Success. Scott's grin was deliberate as he sped up the pace, both of them mostly clothed and rutting against the wall. It set something primal off in him. He continued until Deucalion clenched around him, making the young man see stars and he pulled out quickly, too close too soon. In front of him, Deucalion sagged against the wall panting.

"You did that on purpose," Scott accused, hackles rising. Deucalion was learning a few things about him as well. They both growled and Scott rushed forward, wrapping his arms around the other and his hands found Deucalion's erection. He gripped it tightly and felt the man's legs shake, another whine slipping from his throat. "I'll make you regret that."

The bed was only a few feet away and he practically threw Deucalion on it. The older wolf struggled to sit up but Scott was on him in seconds, grabbing the red shirt that bound his hands and slamming them down against the mattress. Scott roared, eyes glowing red, and watched Deucalion's body react helplessly to it, breaking out into a sweat from lust as his voice seemed to catch in his throat, erection hardening further and swelling against his stomach. His claws extended but only to sink into the wooden headboard above them. Scott took the opportunity to remove his jeans and settle between Deucalion's legs, gripping each ankle in a hand.

"You know, I've been doing research on wolves," he commented idly. "Picked up a few things." Time to test a theory. Scott reached down and grabbed Deucalion under the knees, lifting up and pushing forward until he was almost doubled over, knees close to his head with only his shoulders, head, and arms touching the bed. Scott didn't know much about werewolves, or not as much as he'd like, but he could find just about anything on regular wolves, including mating habits. He took a moment to admire Deucalion and how exposed he was before bending down and dragging a tongue across his entrance.

Like a jolt of lighting had struck him, Deucalion yelped embarrassingly and immediately tried to pull away, which was undermined by his own body. His scent grew sharp and more potent. Perfect; wolf habits translated into sexual excitement for werewolves. Deucalion looked up at Scott, eyes bright red with sight and wary, scared of what Scott could do.

"Don't—" It was cut off and Scott gave a firm lick with the flat of his tongue to the perineum, before swirling back around the rim. "_Fuck_," Deucalion choked off before it morphed into a groan, helpless to the sensation as his cock hung a few inches from his face, thickening and precome starting to bead at the tip. Scott surged against him, flicking across heated skin, around the entrance before slowly teasing in. He drew out quickly and repeated the process for several minutes, drawing Deucalion into a near frenzied state. He played his tongue against Deucalion's sac as well, just the barest lick across his testicles making the man cry out. Irritation, arousal, fear, hate, and desperate need combined to make a heady scent that almost made Scott laugh. Deucalion's toes curled and knuckles grew white as he succumbed to Scott's onslaught.

"I knew you'd like this," Scott mouthed around him. "Just like a bitch in heat." He gave a long filthy lick, from top to bottom, like ice cream, and finally received a whimper for his trouble. Realizing his partner was getting close, Scott worked his tongue into Deucalion once more going as deep as he could before humming quietly in satisfaction. The vibrations were all it took to break Deucalion, tearing a loud sob from him as he came harshly over his neck and chest.

It was too much for Scott and a wicked darkness took hold of him, like a spreading of fire through his veins, and he pulled back. Deucalion unfolded underneath him and Scott grabbed his hips, ramming into him, fucking him as hard as he could. One thing he had learned about Deucalion was he became oversensitive after release and the action sent vicious waves of pleasure through his body in a never-ending orgasm.

Far past pleasure and even pain, Scott continued his assault, too far gone to realize what was happening. Deucalion's body shuddered and thrashed against his will beneath Scott, slave to his alpha's desires, skin forming bruises where Scott gripped him too hard. He had no more come left to give but his cock shook violently as he continued to orgasm, crying, screaming in utter agony and pleasure, teeth fully extended and neck bared, back arched so sharply it looked broken. In the madness Scott noticed that and reached forward, sinking his teeth into the offered neck and came with a deep moan as all his emotions clashing in that one moment.

The air finally went still and a blanket lifted from Scott's senses, making him aware of his surroundings again. He gasped for breath as his body shook from exhaustion, using all his energy to not fall on top of the older wolf. Scott pulled back, sitting up just slightly and at Deucalion's snarl, surveyed the damage. Thankfully not weeping in misery or anything dramatic, Deucalion's face was drawn tight underneath him, hands above his head with claws digging into his own skin as he tried to stay completely still. Any movement sent a raw jolt of agonizing pleasure through his screaming nerves.

His breath came out ragged as Scott settled himself more and their eyes locked for a moment. Preparing for another challenge, Scott let his fangs show and readied to snap his hips forward.

"_Please_." Scott blinked, caught off guard. "Please, _stop_." Begging. Deucalion was begging. Pleading with Scott to stop, to let him rest. Something ugly twisted in his chest. It wasn't meant to go like this, Deucalion was supposed to keep fighting him. They could keep going, all Scott had to do was slide himself over Deucalion's abused prostate and tear another orgasm from him and start the cycle again. "_Please_ Alpha, just today. _Give me today_." Deucalion's throat tore with humiliation and shame. His face was red with anger at his body for enjoying it, for giving into Scott when that was the last thing he wanted, but despite whatever pride he thought he had left, he continued to beg, eyes bright but determined to let no tears fall. Scott had to admire him for that. The brief admiration was crushed by a wild urge that demanded Scott continue his cruelty, like fury and addiction it craved more.

But...

Something like a ghost of a memory flickered in Scott's mind, images of dust and shadowy figures in moonlight burned at his eyes, and the night everything changed came back to him. The pale moon shone weakly across the hard windswept dirt, framed by the doorway with a spiral carved into it. His golden eyes watched. The tang of metal and desperation swirled on his tongue as worry ate at his stomach. He stood inside a distillery waiting, in the dead of night, cold inside in a way he'd never experienced before and unsure if the ritual had been worth it.

A powerful wolf stood next to him and whispered words of encouragement, making him believe he could win—

It felt like he broke through ice water and breathed in air properly for the first time in years. Everything felt wrong to Scott. What he was doing was unethical, vindictive. Why was he doing this?

Scott slowly pulled himself out, Deucalion flinching from the movement, cutting off the rest of his words. Scott looked down at the bruises he'd left, Deucalion's hips and inner thighs were covered in them. A word slipped out unintentionally.

"Sorry."

The man underneath stilled at this and Scott found himself leaning forward and licking at his bloodied neck. There was nothing sexual about it, instead he found himself trying to put an apology in his actions. He was unsure of where this came from and didn't touch Deucalion anywhere else, letting his body calm down and start to heal.

They both stayed quiet. The silence filled with awkwardness and exhaustion in equal parts as neither knew what to do in that moment. Scott took off his shirt and wiped away the come covering Deucalion's chest. He threw the article on the floor afterwards. His head hurt, confusion cluttering at every corner of his thoughts, and he didn't know what to feel.

"Why?" Deucalion's voice was soft, or maybe it was just hoarse from screaming. His hands came up and he untangled them from his shirt. Scott wasn't sure which part he was talking about, though for the past several months he'd done nothing but hurt and forcefully pleasure the man, so he must have meant the kindness.

"I don't know..." The darkness beckoned to him, offering peace of mind, but Scott tried to stave it off for the first time since it overtook him. "A memory?"

"Memory?" The words were bitter, but Deucalion had good reason. At Scott's continued silence, his face changed to serious and torn as he realized something was different about the boy in front of him. "Sc—Alpha?" He looked more nervous than worried as he struggled to sit up and reach to shake Scott, but that's where he made his mistake. He touched Scott.

Like a spark in his mind, something snapped. Darkness poured back into him and engulfed any of his previous thoughts. Terrible rage coursed in him and the boy screamed, lashing out. He stood up, dragging Deucalion with him and slammed him back against the wall. "_What have I said about touching me _without_ my permission_."

"I—" Deucalion wheezed, startled and uncertain. "What?" His gaze went sharp as he looked over Scott. "You..." He trailed off as his face and eyes went blank as they turned away, hiding whatever he was feeling and thinking from Scott. It only enraged him further, sinking deeper into the sin that lulled him with a sense of security; that promised no more pain. He let his anger wash over him.

Scott used his free hand to seize the other's face, jerking it back to look at him. Deucalion's sightless eyes 'gazed' past Scott's shoulder, but Deucalion got the idea and went rigid. "I don't need your comfort or compassion. I use you for my own needs, am I clear?"

"Of course." Scott could feel Deucalion's breath on his hand and he ripped it away. Why had that memory pulled at him like that? When Deucalion had begged, looked so defeated it had made him feel...well that must be it: it made him feel. His skin crawled at the mere thought of it. His chest swirled and contracted in pain. Scott looked down to see his hand clutching at where his heart would be—had been, depending on who you ask.

"I wasn't thinking," Deucalion responded neutrally. "My mistake."

"Whatever." Scott shrugged it off and dropped his hand. It tingled from the contact and he struggled with the turmoil that was just bubbling underneath the darkness inside him. He had to avoid a similar situation again, but was unsure of how.

A knock sounded at his door, drawing both occupants out of their own thoughts. Scott already knew who it was. "What Kali?" he asked as said she-wolf opened the door. Her grin was voracious and Scott felt a matching one form on his face.

"I've located the pack's den," she almost sang, clicking her freshly sharpened nails against the door frame. She seemed unaffected by walking in on two men standing in a room, one completely nude.

"Perfect," Scott remarked and went over to his bed, searching through his clothes until he found an unused hoodie and pulled it on. To his side he heard Deucalion sift around and grab his own clothes scattered across the floor. "Ready then?" he asked.

"Always, Alpha." Kali's voice was brimming with dark excitement. Deucalion responded with silence, but he was right behind Scott.

Scott issued a sharp bark, which would sound just as such to any overhearing human, but summoned his pack from their rooms instantly. Derek took Scott's other side, shoulders brushing against his. The twins flanked Kali as she took the lead and they walked into the darkness of the night.

The moonlight shifted in the wind from dark branches dancing as Scott stared up into the night sky past the trees. He never paid attention to the journey, often times losing himself in bloodlust as his pack tracked new prey. They traveled for several miles before stopping deep within the forest and as Kali pointed out, where the rival wolves lay some ways off.

"Her pack is bigger than we'd originally heard," Scott observed from their hiding spot, downwind of the pack's lair.

"Word _has_ spread about you," Deucalion surmised. "Other alphas are wary, trying to reinforce their ranks."

"That has dangers in and of itself, yeah?"

"Indeed." Their conversations were exceptionally civil like this, Scott's hostility towards the other man completely disappearing during times of, what he called, business. Everyone took it in stride.

"Thoughts?" Scott asked Deucalion and Kali. The two wolves contemplated.

"Are you for grandstanding or would you rather just attack?" Deucalion countered.

Kali shook her head. "I've met Rika before. Give her a chance to react and she'll tear you apart. Or in our case, it'd take just that much longer to kill everyone. Some might escape and we'd have to go hunting. While normally I'm all for that—"

"You think _she'd_ run off?" Scott considered.

"She's no coward, but she's also tactical. As soon as she realized it was you she'd take off, cover her scent and build a new pack." Kali tilted her head, dark hair falling over her shoulders. "As far as I know, this is her third pack."

"Someone's been busy," Derek huffed.

"It would be better to split up then," Deucalion finally spoke up and Scott gave him his full attention, "to cut off her exits." Scott thought it over and realized what this meant.

"Does this mean I have to monologue?" he deadpanned, preferring action to words but recognizing their importance.

"Unless you'd rather do a frontal charge. We'd kill most of her pack quickly."

"Can't chance her getting away, I'm itching for a fight." Scott stretched his arms and cracked his knuckled, shifting quickly. "Aiden, Ethan, circle east and make sure none get through, when the party starts, combine and charge right in. Derek, Deucalion, go west and block them off. Derek if you see her run: chase and seek, do _not_ let up. Clear?"

His pack shifted themselves and nodded. Their bloodlust would become obvious soon but they had to move quickly.

"Kali with me." Scott stepped out and made his way towards the other pack's sentries. Kali's shadow danced around him as she stalked forward. "So," Scott announced as the other wolves took notice of him, hackles rising, "I guess you've heard of me?"

The two sentries charged at him without hesitation, but Kali was already there, laughing as she swirled around like smoke and cut them down before anyone knew what had happened. The high kicks always seemed a bit theatrical to Scott, but quite deadly in most cases. Her hands and feet were covered in blood by the time she was done. Kali tensed as the next wave of wolves sprung forward to attack.

"_STOP!_" a voice rang out and a hardened middle-age woman came forward, gray eyes like chips of steel. Her wolves halted and retreated closer to her. Kali smirked and did the same, coming to Scott's side.

"Hi, Mika." Scott grinned. "You may or may not know who I am—"

"I know you."

"—cool, makes introductions easier."

"_Leave_, demon."

"Ah, you have me confused with one of my wolves." Scott scratched the back of his head. "Don't worry, it's a common mistake."

"I know a monster when I see one." Mika's claws slid out and her eyes were a blood red.

"Monster is a bit harsh, but I'll take it." Scott feigned indifference. "You've created a fairly big pack, Mika. And from the sound of it, this isn't even the first time! That takes talent. I like talent. If you know me, then you know my offer. With so many betas you'd boost your powers ten times over."

"And yet, I'd still never reach your strength." She crossed her arms.

Scott chuckled. "Yeah, one of the perks of being a true alpha."

"You've fallen _far_ from your path, then," she said, voice rough, and Scott didn't like the thread of disappointment running through it. Like that of a mother's. He started to lose control as the urge to kill rushed through his body. Memories tried to surface and the darkness came to claim them. He felt Kali's tension spike as she realized the wrong thing had been said to Scott.

"No, Mika, he just chose a different path than what everybody else had planned out for him." She bared her teeth at the older woman. "Different doesn't mean wrong."

It felt odd, to hear Kali speak in defense of him. Something else twisted and Scott roared out his challenge, startling the other pack and making Kali's eyes burn red with his power.

"Forgive me, but I'm going to take your statement as rejection." His little act was over and Scott's blood screamed at him to kill.

"Good," Mika spat. "And don't think I don't know what you're up to with the rest of your wolves. I've no intention of running." She raised an arm and her pack crouched, poised to attack. "Time to face your true form, boy. Behold your darkness." She dropped her arm, but instead of her pack charging Scott's chest exploded in pain as something pierced through it. He looked down in shock at an arrow jutting out, just barely noting the etchings carved in it, before collapsing in pain, screaming as he hit the ground.

The world cascaded around him, sounds and motions becoming a blur. The small, rational part of his brain tried to soothe him, saying that his pack was currently decimating the others, but the pain engulfed everything. His body was on fire and he couldn't even breathe. It felt like his skin was peeling off and his bones were splintering. His voice cracked as he felt his throat tear, screaming too hard.

A howl, one of anguish, sounded in what seemed a great distance. Scott couldn't—he couldn't die. He was a true alpha, this was his path. Scott clenched his teeth. He would _not_ die. He would fight this.

He would fight like he always did.

It took great effort, but Scott pushed the pain back, the darkness called and he embraced it, soothing the edges and making everything bearable. The young wolf turned to his side, scrabbling to find his footing to stand, but his body wouldn't obey, couldn't move the way he wanted and he fell back to the floor in a heap. Scott clenched his hands in frustration, only to realize he couldn't. He didn't have hands anymore.

Scott reeled back in shock. He had paws. He _was_ a wolf.

A scream hit him and Scott recognized it as Derek's. His senses flared to life and he growled dangerously through his snout, conscious of it now. Scott tried again and slowly rose on his legs, all four of them.

"Derek!"

Scott's head snapped around, his wolf vision narrowing, as he saw Deucalion throw himself at Mika as she tried to tear Derek's neck out. The alphas met in a clash and Deucalion went straight for her legs, boot striking at her knee. The older woman was well prepared and dodged. She spun closer to Deucalion, taking advantage of an opening, snapping her head forward and cracking it against his. He grunted in pain and stumbled back as Mika slashed at his chest, drawing blood.

Scott's eyes widened and the only thing he thought was _'MINE'_.

Deucalion surged forward, howling, and hacked at her face, aiming for her eyes. Blood splattered to the ground. Mika howled as she leapt back and fell to the ground, cheek gouged but sight still intact. Both alphas snarled at each other and Deucalion went for the kill. Scott saw Mika's hand clench at the ground and barked as warning as she threw dirt in Deucalion's eyes. As he screamed, two of Mika's wolves rushed forward and seized him.

Scott lost it and arched his back, inhaling deeply before unleashing his rage-fueled roar. The air vibrated with the force and power it took. The fighting froze in an instant. With a whine, the betas closest to Scott dropped the ground, forced back to their human state.

In that instant Derek appeared, ripping at the wolf on Deucalion's left with his bare teeth. Time resumed and Scott vanished in the blink of an eye, reappearing in front of Mika and snapping at her neck with a snarl. She dodged, but barely. Deucalion's claws slid out as he raised a foot and smashed down on the remaining wolf holding him. Their knee gave a sickening crunch as it snapped. Deucalion used his free hand to tear out the injured wolf's throat. He and Derek stood back to back, eyes blood red and daring others to attack.

Deucalion's shirt was soaked with blood and he wavered, falling to his knees a second later and Scott stepped in front of his pack mates. He crouched low and bared his teeth to Mika. She would _not_ touch what was his again.

"Impossible," Mika whispered, eyes wide. "It should have destroyed you. Turned you into the darkness that consumes your mind and body. What could possibly be left?"

_A wolf_, Scott thought with venom.

He didn't think he could speak in this form, but it didn't matter. He had nothing left to say to this bitch. He screamed, which sounded oddly like a howl, and charged. He dodged a panicked swipe and ducked low.

Mika fully transformed, face morphing, and tried to overpower Scott. She grabbed at his neck and tossed him in the air, but Scott was quicker. He twisted, guided by instinct, and landed on his feet, claws sinking into the earth. He tore back across to her, skidding under her legs as she braced herself. Scott ripped at a calf muscle, twisting his head, upending and throwing her to the ground where he pounced and swallowed panicked screams.

He tore into her until he reached her heart, watching until it stopped beating.

"_Scott!_"

He snapped out of his frenzied daze and glanced around. His pack had circled around him, all the rest dead. Derek stood in front, trying to inch closer. Scott growled nervously at the looks he received.

"Stop," Deucalion commanded to the others, issuing his own growl, "he's more wolf than human right now. Let him get his bearings."

"Scott?" Derek tried again. Scott noticed a large gash running down his face. He looked around and saw his entire pack was injured. Guilt wormed its way into his heart and Scott tried to shake it off, but the darkness seemed to be unable to quell the emotion and worry set in beside it. His pack, _his_. Anger at himself rose quickly for letting this pass as it had never happened before in their previous raids. Regardless of how strong they were as individuals, a larger pack could still overpower them. Scott should have realized this; it was one of the first things Derek had ever told him about wolves.

"Scott." Derek's voice cracked and he looked back to Deucalion. "God, he's not snapping out of it."

"That bitch signaled someone and he got hit with this type of black arrow," Kali explained, "maybe it messed with his head as well as his body."

"No." And Deucalion looked sure of himself. Somehow that calmed Scott. "Talia spoke of something similar happening after her first full shift. He's simply adjusting to his new body."

_Or berating myself for poor planning_. Scott opened his mouth to speak, but it went nowhere as his cheeks and tongue used muscles differently. Plus his new vocal cords probably weren't up to the task. He settled for a sigh and it came out like a huff.

"Sounds pissed to me," Aiden correctly guessed.

"Idiot, anyone can tell that," Ethan sighed.

Scott didn't like the way his chest twisted at the look Derek was giving him so he slowly walked up the older boy, noticing that his back was tense. Derek kneeled down quickly so he was level with his alpha.

"Scott?" Derek's eyes were hopeful. Scott looked over the wound on his face critically. It was already healing, but it shouldn't have happened in the first place. He leaned up and licked at it, the blood tasting of ash and sandalwood. Scott realized a second later how weird the action actually was. Was he more wolf than human or the other way around? Derek blinked and pulled back slightly, wiping at his face and raising an eyebrow. Kali chuckled over him.

"Guess it's easy to tell he wasn't a born wolf. Never seen a regular alpha do that to a beta."

Something in Derek's face softened and he sighed. "It's you, _thank god_."

The rest of his pack relaxed and moved closer to him, but being that they were all taller he quickly went on alert and growled threateningly, perceiving his dominance in question.

Derek rolled his eyes. "Now your instincts kick in."

"_Sit down_." Deucalion's voice was sharp and Scott noticed he'd been crouched the entire time. He padded forward to inspect the gash on Deucalion's chest. "_Alpha_," the older wolf greeted and Scott loved how the word sounded on his tongue. He lapped at the other's skin, nuzzling in closer to taste more. The spice of his blood set Scott's senses ablaze and he growled in delight, realizing that he could taste the difference between Derek and Deucalion's blood.

"What the hell is he trying to do?" Aiden asked bluntly, arms crossed.

"Pretty sure he's just scenting out Deucalion." Derek shrugged and Kali snorted.

"He reinstating his claim. When something a dominant alpha like Scott perceives as his is damaged in any way, it's taken as a personal offence and his claim must be restaked upon the person or object. Ennis was similar with his betas."

"It's fine," Deucalion assured them all. It was more than fine. Scott could smell the hint of arousal in the air and taste it on his skin. For his part, Deucalion looked conflicted, face pulled in a slight grimace. Aroused, but unwilling—or perhaps embarrassed to show it. This was an interesting kink Scott would _never_ have guessed about the other. His stomach coiled hot with desire.

"Why's he look different from a real wolf?" Ethan asked and Scott jerked back, checking his paws quickly. Deucalion gave a long sigh of relief or frustration, it was hard to tell.

"I can't believe you two." Kali shook her head, fingers pinching the bridge of her nose.

Derek moved closer to Scott as Ethan shot back, "_It's a valid question!_"

"You're fine, Scott," the older boy assured and reached out his hand. Scott let him carefully pat his head, fingers running through his fur. He glanced over at Deucalion and caught a fleeting look of _want_ in his eyes before it was quickly smothered and the red dulled as his sight left him. Even more interesting. Derek was the only one Scott allowed to touch him. For some reason it didn't feel intimate as when others tried, probably because Scott thought more of Derek as family than just pack. He filed Deucalion's reaction away in the back of his mind. Probably had more to do with his current form than Deucalion suddenly wanting to be intimate with him. "Is there anything he can do to transform back?" Derek asked Deucalion. "I don't really remember my mother talking about it."

"There are a few exercises he could try," Deucalion mused, "but it's too dangerous here. We should return to the hotel, it's safest there."

"Agreed," Kali said and tossed her hair to the side as she looked up to the setting sky. "Humans will come along this to spot eventually."

Walking was much easier on four legs, Scott decided, even more so running. Once he'd gotten the movements down, he found it exhilarating to race through the forest so low to the ground, whipping around his pack mates' feet. Derek and the twins fed off his energy and looked as if they wanted to join in. The pack was fully healed by the time they made it back to the hotel, night having fallen at last.

Derek tried to follow Deucalion into Scott's room and the older alpha halted him, looking nervous at the addition. "Derek—"

"If there's something I can do that will help," the young man replied sharply and Deucalion shook his head.

"No, nothing. Sc—our alpha simply needs to engage in a type of meditation. The more people around the harder it will be to concentrate." Derek's eyes narrowed and he glared at Deucalion, meeting dark glasses and a frown. Scott sighed, it sounded like a huff again, and used his head to push Derek back to the door. He felt the older boy panic at the rejection and Scott licked his fingers to soften the blow.

"If he needs you, I'm sure he'll call," Deucalion spoke for Scott, crossing his arms as Derek walked out the door, shooting the older wolf another look before leaving. Scott turned his attention to Deucalion and tried to give his own glare, but wolves didn't seem capable of many facial expressions. Instead the moment stretched until it became uncomfortable.

Deucalion fidgeted at the unbearable silence and Scott could smell his lust color the air. After this morning something had changed. The darkness berated Scott for showing weakness, for being kind. It made Scott want to hate himself even more. His nails dug into the soft carpet as he tried to reign in his feelings, fur starting to stand on end in his agitation. Deucalion, for his part, seemed conflicted again, face drawn tight in consideration and body taut with warring arousal. Scott couldn't tell if he wanted to submit in that moment, or fight against whatever was happening.

Before today Scott had never given Deucalion reason to pause or reconsider. The young wolf growled, snapping them both out of their thoughts. Deucalion's eyes glowed a dark red as he took in the sight of Scott and his desire sharpened dramatically, whatever fight he was having with himself seemed close to breaking. He leaned back against the door, breathing heavily as his legs shook. A challenge rose in his eyes and Scott stalked forward, taking in his scent.

"Damn that this would happen to you," Deucalion cursed as Scott nosed at his crotch, feeling his hardness through the denim. Scott licked roughly at the bulge and watched Deucalion lower his head, hair falling across his face as his mouth fell open. His gasps sounded pained and Scott pushed harder, delivering a light nip and the man above him snapped.

"I-I need to take a shower first, alright?" Deucalion tore himself away from Scott, turning and placing both hands against the wall to steady himself. He looked ready to pass out from the strain of holding his body in check. His face twisted as if he'd come to a conclusion. "Just a quick shower."

Scott nodded, his wolf form able to do that at least, as Deucalion went in and turned on the shower, stripped and stepped in. Scott looked towards the full-length mirror along the wall, studying his new form. It did look different from a regular wolf, but nothing near as bad as Peter's form had been; Scott's initial fear at Ethan's words now soothed.

He was larger than the average wolf with matted brown fur, tuffs sticking out wildly in some places. His back was arched higher, making it look somewhat hunched. His paws were large with chipped claws permanently showing and his tail was long and honestly not as fluffy as he'd like. His legs had lean muscles rippling underneath skin while his middle looked thin and malnourished, giving an odd juxtaposition to his figure. He looked strange, but from a distance he'd pass as a wolf to humans. Still...

Scott's nails clicked against the glass of the mirror as he reared up and studied himself more carefully. From what he'd heard, Talia had been a beautiful black wolf with sleek fur and red eyes. He looked like a wild dog with a deformed back. A monster indeed. He snarled at the reflection.

"You're—" Scott wrenched away, dropping to all fours. Deucalion stood by the bathroom door, soaking wet from his quick wash. His skin was flushed and he was still hard, a hand gripped the door frame with white knuckles. Deucalion's face was torn with emotion, clearly conflicted and perhaps scared at what he was showing to Scott about himself. "You look—" but he was unable to finish his sentence.

Vulnerable and needy, a wonderful combination; Scott could taste Deucalion's want so clearly it was a little exhilarating.

He gave a deep growl and Deucalion dropped to the floor like a string had been cut. His knees hit the ground with a dull thud. Scott stalked closer, with each step noting how the other man's body tightened, nipples rigid and breathing a wreck. It was kinky, and not really Scott's thing, but honestly he didn't care at this moment and pounced.

Deucalion fell back with a moan. Scott's teeth fastened between his neck and shoulder, paws caging around him. Scott gripped harder, drawing a little blood and relished the guttural noise the older man made. Scott shuddered. Whatever conflict Deucalion had with exposing this side of himself to Scott now fully broke.

"_Please_..." he rasped, the submission in his voice hitting Scott hard. He buckled to it, nipping at the offered flesh and licking a path downwards as instincts claimed him. He rarely tried to pleasure Deucalion without malice, but watching him _finally_ submit, to come undone with a secret desire he'd probably kept hidden his entire life was worth it. Even if this was only for today, if tomorrow Deucalion went back to fighting against him, Scott would take this. He nosed between the older man's legs and lapped rapidly at his erection, tasting precome and deciding he liked it.

Deucalion was being careful not to touch Scott. One hand clutched at his thigh, nails sunken in deep, while the other he bit on to muffle the sounds he was making. His back arched as Scott's tongue curled around his base, making something close to a whimper. A thought pulled darkly at his mind like a string of sharp wire and Scott's body grew impatient. He jerked away and bit the other's inner thigh in warning. Deucalion rolled over and crawled to his bed, hands shaking as he grabbed the lube and quickly tried to prepare himself.

Scott felt himself unsheathe which was a bizarre sensation, and looked down to see his wolf's thick cock slick with moisture. God, they didn't even need lube for this. He walked—or stumbled, it was hard for the wolf's body to walk with everything hanging out—towards the other man and mounted him. Deucalion gasped but made no struggle, his body pushing towards Scott and the young alpha slid in with almost no resistance.

It seemed almost too easy and his breath left in a rush as Deucalion squeezed around him and he tried to utilize his paws best he could to steady himself. Scott used his hind legs to sink in a little further and Deucalion moaned.

"_More_." His hands clenched the bed sheets. Scott bent down and opened his mouth around the back of Deucalion's exposed neck, feeling the other shake at his helplessness in complete lust. Scott wasn't expecting that, but his body demanded attention and he started to thrust in, picking up the pace quickly. After a few minutes he was drawn from his haze by a sense of constriction, like Deucalion's passage had grown even tighter, and realized he was unable to pull himself out completely.

_A knot?_ The thought barely made it through Scott's jumbled mind, but the splinters of need laced through him and grew, swallowing everything. It drove him relentlessly forward to pound harder and harder into the other until he felt Deucalion tense underneath him and come violently onto the bed without even having to touch himself. Scott wondered if this was a common werewolf kink.

His own orgasm pulled him by surprise and Scott rumbled deep in his chest as he released a few minutes later. It took him a several seconds to regain his senses. Deucalion panted underneath him, recovering from his own aftershocks. Scott started to pull back and they both yelped at the pain from doing so.

"N-not yet." Deucalion's body tried followed his retreating one. "It takes awhile to, ah..." Scott got the picture. He had worked with enough dogs at the clinic to know. He huffed in annoyance, not liking the forced closeness he had to share with Deucalion now. "We can wait," Deucalion started, "or you can transform back, that should solve our current—erm, issue." Scott pressed his snout against the other's back to continue, rather sick of being in a wolf's body now. Deucalion sighed at the movement. "As Talia explained it to me, you need to relive a memory. A strong one that connects you to your humanity. It may be...uncomfortable."

Scott searched his mind, trying to think of a particular memory that made him feel human. When he'd first turned, it had been Allison or his friends, but very little about them welled up emotions inside him anymore. That was a life he'd put behind himself. That had been the boy's life and he was now a wolf, albeit a warped one.

_You've fallen far from your path_.

Scott shook his head. She'd had _no_ right to sound disappointed. Mika had _not_ been his mother. The memory came involuntarily; it was of his freshman year of high school when he had tried out for the lacrosse team and an asthma attack had hit and unfortunately, his inhaler had been in the locker room. It was so bad Couch had called an ambulance and Scott had woken up in the hospital humiliated and devastated. He'd just wanted to be a normal teen and try out for school sports.

His mother had been sitting next to his bed, eyes red from crying. Scott knew he'd be in trouble for sure doing something so dangerous with his condition. He tearfully explained to her what he had wanted to do and she stopped him with a gentle hand on his cheek, telling him she was so proud for trying, for not letting limitations stop him from dreaming. She told him to keep trying.

Scott promised to never give up, that he would never stop dreaming. The smile his mother had given him at those words...

Scott was crying. Not loudly, but he realized that tears were running down his cheeks. His human cheeks. He jolted back, sliding out of Deucalion and landing near the base of the bed, wiping hastily at his cheeks. He felt weak for a second time that day.

"Are you—" Deucalion tried and Scott growled at him.

"Don't _look_ at me." He watched as the man's eyes dimmed and his vision faded. Scott swung his legs over to the floor and flopped back to his own bed. He splayed an arm over his face. Hiding, but he didn't know what else to do as the darkness he was so used to seemed silent for once. In its place came exhaustion and an incredible sadness.

After a long moment of silence, where Scott was able to calm himself, a thought came to him. "I look deformed, Deucalion," he said to the man's unfinished remark earlier.

Deucalion was still lying on his stomach, bite marks around his neck healing. He turned his head towards Scott, face drawn in conflicting emotions again. Although he was blind in that moment, Scott could tell Deucalion was studying him again: analyzing and trying to figure out some great mystery about what had happened. If another tear suddenly escaped Scott, there was nobody to see it.

He sneered. "She said she'd show me my true form. Fitting, huh?"

"Depends on who you ask." Deucalion's voice cracked and Scott appreciated the honesty even if it stung. It felt like change, as if the air between them was different. Too much had been revealed on both sides today, but maybe—

The darkness wrapped itself around Scott's mind, heavy and suffocating, like an unwanted embrace. It whispered the truth.

"I'm not different, I'm broken."

.

* * *

.


	3. Chapter 3

Continuing their path of destruction, Scott was extremely vigilant with which packs he selected for assault. Their number made attacking a pack with more than a dozen dangerous. His power grew exponentially when he fully transformed, but because of what it took to change back, Scott found himself doing it rarely.

Over the course of the next year they traveled all across America, moving down through Mexico and into South America. He kept the pack in a similar formation as before, having Kali and Derek act as scouts for each new city they entered to gather any relevant information needed. If there was nothing of interest and Deucalion or Kali deemed the city unsafe to settle, they would move on.

Since leaving Beacon Hills, Scott had noticed Deucalion never replaced his walking stick and had watched over the past months as the man became more proficient at traveling without it. Before he had needed the twins or, on the rare occasions he was feeling generous, Scott to guide him, but lately he had been managing fine on his own. After cornering Ethan and threatening the omega, Scott learned that Deucalion had been honing his senses to compensate; he enhanced his hearing and sense of touch to act like an echolocation.

In a moment of embarrassing stupidity, Scott's mouth reacted before his mind. "You mean like Daredevil?" The twin frowned in confusion and after thinking it over, nodded before shrugging. Scott wanted to punch the teenage side of his mind that remembered staying up late with Stiles reading comic books. He shoved those feelings aside. According to Ethan, the technique wasn't perfect, but it kept Deucalion from stumbling and bumping into things, as using his sight took too much concentration to constantly utilize.

They continued moving south and Scott kept a careful eye on Deucalion and the others, realizing that in his callousness, he could be missing signs of mutiny or unrest. Derek insisted his paranoia was unfounded, that Deucalion would be unable to betray him as his submissive. Scott forced himself to trust the wolf he considered his brother as they moved down through Brazil.

He liked Brazil quite a lot and after more searching, found a city to take shelter in after approval from Kali. They stayed in the same city for over a month, a new record for his pack, and started to relax. Scott still searched for other alphas to join him, but his reputation was perhaps working against him. So laying low for some time seemed a logical choice.

Scott sighed contently as Deucalion wrapped his lips around him. The summer heat in Fortaleza was intense and Scott was unused to the humidity. Having grown tired of listening to the fan spin around his room, he opted for a different activity. He gripped Deucalion's damp hair and urged him to swallow more.

The past year between the two of them had been a silent emotional rollercoaster. A fight of a different kind. Since the first chink in Scott's armor had appeared something changed ever so slightly in Deucalion. There was still a passive resistance against Scott; he refused to submit completely, but there would be times his eyes would glow red and he'd simply stare at the young man. His thoughts stayed with him and could only be guessed at, but maybe he finally saw the sickness that had claimed Scott. A desperate part of him hoped so.

It was disconcerting and Scott tried to ignore the urge to lash out. He decided to be civil; he wanted to be decent and respect Deucalion. He'd been trying to lessen his rage and anger but all it did was bottle up inside himself, festering until the darkness pushed his truly cruel self to the front.

Scott felt himself get close and he shoved the other man away, twirling his hand around. Deucalion stood, his blank eyes becoming wary, and started to turn but Scott grabbed his hips, pinned him up against the wall and then pulled his legs up and around him. Deucalion growled in surprise, hands coming up to brace himself against the wall.

"Wha—" His voice petered out into a gasp as Scott lifted him up and sheathed himself deep within the other. Deucalion was already hard but his body shuddered in anticipation, not expecting Scott to do that. The young man stayed still, shifting himself slightly to tease his partner, bending forward to lap gently at his neck.

"We've been at this for awhile," Scott murmured as Deucalion choked back a moan from the vibrations it caused. "Just give in." He extended his fangs and scraped them across Deucalion's throat, but refused to bite. "Say you're _mine_."

"How many times..._no_—" Deucalion cut off as Scott trailed up and nipped at his ear, mouthing the lobe and tugging with just enough force to make his cock twitch. Exhaustion had overtaken most of his fighting spirit and Scott had eroded the rest by slowly teasing and testing Deucalion for the past three hours. He'd gotten pliant enough to not complain when Scott had shoved him between his legs to suck him off, but he still refused to verbally acknowledge he was claimed: an old argument of theirs.

Deucalion's body had belonged to Scott since that first night over a year ago, but his mind still fought and rebelled. Part of Scott relished it, burned for that spark. The darkness loathed and detested being denied. Scott trying to tame that side of him had backfired, now he had no control.

"Just say you're mine." Scott's voice cracked as he tried not to beg. Splinters drove into his spine and rocked his hips forward to distract Deucalion. The man whined and arched his back, so near the edge.

"_No_." He made a grab for Scott, eyes suddenly sharp and searching, but an ugly heat burned through Scott's chest and his jaw snapped forward to sink in Deucalion's shoulder and he snarled. Deucalion's arm dropped, defeated for the moment and whimpered as his erection rubbed against Scott's chest with tormenting friction.

Scott was through giving him time. He jerked his hips, sliding in and out roughly to find Deucalion's prostate and grinned in victory at the sound older man's harsh cry. Scott pulled out, drawing in a deep breath before setting his own pace, brutally pounding into the other, making the walls shake. Long ago he had learned that Deucalion actually liked to be roughed up, or at least, his body craved it. He continued his assault on the other, pushing Deucalion closer and watched come leak from his cock trapped between their chests.

Sweat rolled off both their bodies and Scott latched his teeth onto Deucalion's shoulder, making the man sob and arch against him, trying for more friction between them to satisfy himself. Scott shifted his angle and Deucalion's whole body trembled, claws snapping out and digging deep into the plaster of the wall as Scott scraped over his spot again and again. He continued the action and listened as Deucalion finally screamed, body writhing under him and erection twitching between them, so close. Scott kept going until he felt his body tighten and groan at his release, sinking into Deucalion as far as he could.

Silence ate at that moment. Scott panted, face hidden as he buried it in the crook of Deucalion's neck: a façade of a tender moment.

"_Mine_."

"I'm not." It was a _lie_. Scott could hear it in his heartbeat. The distress that came from hearing those words almost set him off again and he tore himself away from Deucalion, staggering towards the bathroom as darkness bubbled just under his skin. A noise caught his attention and he stopped, turning to look at Deucalion leaning against the wall shaking, his erection dark red and dripping. This was the fifth night in a row that Scott had left him in this state, on the brink and unsatisfied. It was the game that Deucalion refused to play.

Scott gave a leer, cruel and tinged with sadness, saying the same line he had the past week. "Until you say you're mine, you can finish yourself off," he said before turning back to the restroom. Scott forcefully turned the shower handle down and stuck his hand underneath. After a second of waiting, he climbed in to let the lukewarm water run down his back.

A few minutes later Deucalion stumbled in after him, frustration rolling off his body. Scott had given him permission to shower together, if only to wear at Deucalion's resistance. Every day they continued this and he always looked hurt when Scott left him wanting. They had almost reached an understanding before this. Scott hadn't been kind, exactly, and Deucalion still refused to submit, but something had been forming. At least until the darkness had burst from within Scott after he'd tried to contain it. Deucalion hadn't even touched him this time, just asked if he was alright, if he was in pain.

Water rained down upon Scott as he watched the older man climb into the shower. He wanted to run. Run until there was nobody around that he could hurt. It sickened him, what he did to people. He wished he knew how he became this corrupted.

Scott looked on as Deucalion turned his back to him, letting the now hot water try to calm him down. Scott knew he had jerked himself off, could smell it on him, but that it wasn't near enough what the wolf needed. Like a razor wire, a suggestion cut into Scott's mind, pressuring him and pulling his hand down Deucalion's back, brushing across heated flesh before sliding across his ass. He gripped at the firm muscle, fingers twining down to play at his entrance and push at sensitive skin before reaching their final destination and cupping his balls.

The effect was instantaneous as Scott noticed Deucalion's sac tighten and cock twitch. The man's body shivered and he gave a dry sob. Scott was driven further and gave a twist with his hand, making Deucalion cry out and his legs start to tremble, hands coming up to the wall to steady himself. Scott dropped his hand back down to massage at Deucalion's perineum, slowly and with just enough force to make the man buckle. Scott played him until Deucalion was completely hard again, flush with strained arousal and then just as quickly withdrew his hand.

Deucalion finally broke, a wretched cry coming from him. "_No, please! Please I can't anymore_." His whole body screamed for someone to take him and Scott had to resist the urge to fuck him again. "_Please Alpha, please. I can't, I just can't._"

The shadows whispered in Scott's mind, pushing him to leave, to continue the game, but instead, he simply reached for the shower knob.

"_Scott, please_." His movements ground to a halt. Deucalion knew to never call him by his name. He either wanted to die or...the man's sobs finally caught his ears and Scott paused. He really had broken. A twisted web of darkness wrapped around him, screaming again to leave, but Scott had promised himself he wouldn't break Deucalion—not completely, _never_ completely. He couldn't loose that spark.

Scott pressed his body against Deucalion's back, the man keening at the sensation and arching towards him. "Anything?" he whispered. His hand circled around and gripped the other's shaft loosely.

Deucalion thrust against Scott wildly. "Yes, _anything_. I swear." His voice was choked and Scott tightened his grip and started pumping him slowly. Deucalion's groan could be felt in Scott's own chest it was so deep. His body continued to grind against his alpha's and Scott's other hand trailed up to Deucalion neck, gripping it lightly as his claws slid out. If anything, this only turned Deucalion on more and he buckled against his alpha harder. Scott kept his slow pace but increased the pressure of his hand. He set his teeth against the back of Deucalion's neck, licking at the spot.

"Try not to be too loud," Scott remarked as the other gave a pitiful whine. Scott had pushed him far past his limit this week, he realized. Which was good information to know, but it had sent a jolt down his stomach thinking he'd broken the man. As the sick thoughts dancing in his head cheered in the conquest, Scott knew he never wanted to feel that sensation again. He twisted his hand along Deucalion's shaft, playing with the head and running a finger over his slit. He moved down to the other's scrotum and gripped hard, Deucalion's hips quivering at the sensation, before Scott went back to working his cock, alternating fast and slow strokes.

Sorry, he was so sorry he'd hurt Deucalion like this.

"Say you're mine." It slipped out, unintended and Scott wasn't even sure he said it except for—

"_I'm yours_." Deucalion whispered and he quickly bit his lips, eyes squeezed shut as he was forced to submit, to finally accepted the claim. Scott's vision blurred. That's not what he'd wanted to say. Why was it those were the words he'd said? Scott heard a sob within the rushing water and realized a second later it had been his. His hand was moving so fast now, stroking Deucalion hard enough that he kept whimpering.

Scott glanced up as Deucalion made another muffled noise and realized the man was biting his lip to keep quiet in his embarrassment. Only, he was biting so hard that a trickle of blood ran down his chin. Scott's breath stopped, entranced by the red, and he tilted the man's head back and licked greedily at the trail. Scott sucked at the spot, wolf instincts taking over, realizing far too late that he was kissing the other. Deucalion's eyes were wide as Scott's met them and the older man's orgasm brutally crashed down on him, come shooting out and covering the shower wall as his body thrashed.

When it was over Deucalion fell to his knees, weakened, and Scott could only stare.

"Thank you," Deucalion choked out from the floor, body still shivering with aftershocks. But he didn't sound grateful, his words were bitter like his admission of ownership. Scott wished he didn't sound so hateful and slammed his hand down on the shower handle.

"No you're not." Scott preferred when Deucalion was honest. The darkness churned in the back of his mind, sated from getting its way, and Scott rubbed furiously at his temples. "You hate me."

Deucalion stayed kneeled on the floor as Scott towered over him. "I don't see how I could feel differently." A simple but weighted statement that implied too much. Scott read everything that wasn't said in those words. It hurt, but it's what he deserved. It's what the person he was now deserved, but he remembered the boy from a few years ago. Scott McCall hadn't deserved to turn into this. Rage of a different kind, from a different source, welled within him.

"Because this is you!" Scott screamed, fury and pain in equal notes, and pointed at himself. "You won! This was your plan all along, remember!? What I am now is everything you wanted me to be: _broken!_" The raw ache as he realized the truth of his words sunk into Scott and he fell to his knees as well, clutching his head. "Was I supposed to break a different way?" His voice was small and like a child's.

"I—" Deucalion had turned to face Scott and his face was ragged with emotion, surprise the foremost. Two pairs of red eyes met, both shaken in different ways. It took a minute but Scott came to the slow realization that his mind was free. No whispers from the darkness slid through to tear at him. He was just Scott right now. His eyes fell to Deucalion's abused body in front of him.

"Are you ok?" he asked sincerely, knowing this was only temporary and he'd be swallowed again. "I'm sorry, are you in a lot of pain?"

"_What?_" Deucalion caught himself and looked over Scott critically, like he did when he thought Scott wasn't watching. "Scott?" The usual anger that came from hearing his name didn't rise within him and it was so peaceful that a tiny smile came to Scott's lips.

"Not for long," he answered in return as he felt the telltale prick of needles along his mind. Scott took deep breaths, trying to savor the moment all he could. It was painful knowing that he just forced a man to degrade himself and _this_ was the instant he was released from the darkness to return to the ghost of the boy he used to be. It's not like there was a good moment it could have happened.

"Alpha," Deucalion said and Scott's smile became tense. "_Alpha_." This time it was said with intent and Scott looked back up to see Deucalion's eyes downcast and neck tilted. It took him longer than it should to realize what the other man was doing. "I'm yours." When Deucalion said it this time there was no malice in his words, no joy or love either, just simple acceptance, but maybe that's all Scott wanted.

It almost seemed like a gift and Scott was at a loss. "Why?" he managed.

"I don't know," Deucalion answered truthfully, shrugging. The irony was not lost on Scott how this mirrored a previous conversation. "Because if it's _you_," and he emphasized the word enough to make his meaning clear, "I guess I don't mind as much." His neck stretched out like this and Scott could see the scar of his first bite clearly.

"Thank—" Scott couldn't finish his sentence. Like a whip, the darkness lashed through him and consumed the boy. It wrapped itself around Scott and smothered him until only the wolf was left, the killer and abuser. Scott growled and struck out, slamming Deucalion back against the tub as he sunk his teeth deep into the offered neck and tugged. The older man cried out, struggling underneath Scott, but didn't push back. The bite held no hint of pleasure in it. "I just got bored teasing you," Scott spoke as he unclenched his jaw.

"I see," Deucalion answered calmly, eyes becoming milky blue, like he no longer wanted to see Scott.

"You don't." Scott felt his hand raise to confirm his dominance and for the first time he fought back, struggling against what made him want to lash out. He should try harder. Deucalion was his, and he shouldn't treat a beta this way. Scott grit his teeth and pulled back, stood up, and climbed out of the bathtub. Deucalion's eyes flickered red and his brows furrowed in confusion. "You don't see," Scott repeated, "because I haven't let you. You've been fighting against me, I can fight against me too." He wasn't sure if his words made sense, but he wanted to try.

Scott McCall didn't deserve what had happened to him, but the man Deucalion had been before hadn't deserved to get his eyes burned out and become a monster either.

"You're not alone, Scott," Deucalion said cryptically and didn't try to move closer to assist him.

"Be careful around me," Scott warned.

"I will." Deucalion bowed his head and the submission he showed soothed the beast inside Scott so he was able to stand up with no tremors and walk from the room the confident alpha he'd been forced to become.

Derek was sitting on his bed. Scott did a double take and growled.

"You weren't answering," Derek accused, arms crossed, not intimidated by Scott in the slightest. "_And_ it's important."

Scott quickly got dressed, wishing he had at least toweled off. Deucalion walked out of the bathroom, eyes unseeing; he nodded in Derek's general direction despite that. They weren't friends, but not quite rivals.

Deucalion got all of Scott's sexual attention while Derek got his emotional interest. It was an old subject between the two of them that originated from werewolf traditions. Scott didn't pretend to understand. Derek's animosity came from his general distrust of Deucalion. While Scott did everything he could to forget Beacon Hills, Derek kept his memories close and was wary of the man Deucalion had been when they first met. It was an instinct that seemed hard for him to drop. Scott was unsure of where Deucalion's dislike of Derek stemmed from.

He didn't care about their disagreements as long as it didn't interfere with regular pack business and they didn't kill each other.

"So, what's important?" Scott asked as he pulled a shirt over his head.

"You know how we thought it was weird there wasn't any hunter movements in this city?"

"_Great_," Scott sighed, not wanting to hear it. "You found something, right? So what?"

Derek made an impatient click with his tongue, shaking his head as he leaned forward. "I'll tell you what: other packs, they're easy. Kill or avoid, simple. Hunters chase you, look for you, _try to kill you_."

"How bad is it?" Deucalion asked, sitting on his own bed and carefully dressing.

"Kali's been digging; she overheard that all the local hunters from across several cities have been gathering to take you out." Derek's face was set into a grim expression and it seemed like it was his default lately. _Sour wolf_, a familiar voice whispered. Scott shook away the thought.

"It'd be useless to try and run," Scott stated. "But can we even fight that many, honestly?" He looked towards his two betas. Deucalion had placed his glasses back on and Scott could no longer read his face.

"Not as one group, no," the older man replied.

"Could we attack them while they're still separated?" Derek asked. "Before they all gather in one place?"

Deucalion frowned. "Do we even know where they all are?"

"No." Derek sighed. "But I'm sure Kali could search around. It would take awhile, though—"

"More time than we have," Deucalion cut in sharply and both wolves snarled at the other. Scott ignored them.

"Do we know who their leader is?" he asked. Derek shook his head.

"No."

"Then let's have Kali focus on that," Scott ordered, then thought about it. "You too, Derek. Deucalion, the twins and I can't really go out now. We'd be spotted too easily." Although he blended in with the city residents, Scott knew that the hunters would be on the lookout for a young man his age. "Find out who this leader is and we'll kill them. It'll at least disorganize the rest long enough for us to get away. When or if they start to chase, we can pick them off one by one as they try to catch up."

"Makes sense." Derek nodded at the logical tactic. "Kill and scatter."

"So long as all goes to plan," Deucalion warned. Scott motioned for Derek to start the hunt.

It took two days before he and Kali had information for him. Scott cursed his misfortune.

"An Argent?" Scott tried to control his reaction as his heart skipped and lungs tightened. _Show no weakness_. He didn't want to believe it. After being forced to confront his feelings the past few days, bringing up painful memories of people he used to love would only strain him further. Scott wanted his old life to stay in the past.

"Some of the rumors even say it's Chris Argent himself." Kali studied her nails carefully as she leaned against the wall. "But that's doubtful as his daughter would have given the order." Allison wouldn't...

That's not true, Scott didn't know Allison anymore. Nor did he know what Chris would do, just that both had the capacity to be ruthless. Scott remembered the burn in his eyes from the flash grenade Allison threw at him once, the look on Derek's face as two of her arrows pierced his body. He remembered the cold dead look in Allison's eyes as Kate whispered lies in her ear. Belatedly, Scott realized his claws and fangs had slid out, adrenaline coursing through his body.

"It's not him," Derek tried to assure Scott, "the Argents are a large family. This is probably just a relative."

"Doesn't make it any better," Scott growled, willing himself to relax. "An Argent leading a whole army of hunters is a type of problem we _don't_ need."

"It's not just _you_ this Argent is looking for," Kali added. "For some reason they're after Deucalion too."

"I'm not surprised," the man mused, not looking concerned. "I formed this pack originally and the Argent family and I have history."

"But Gerard's dead," Scott said, "and _I_ killed him. What other issues could they have with you?"

"Something about killing Gerard's brother maybe?" Kali replied, watching her old alpha with interest. Deucalion's eyebrow arched in disbelief. A memory clicked in Scott's mind from a story Allison had related to him from her father.

"Uh...I guess you bit his brother who ran to this haunted motel the lacrosse team stayed at one time—" Ethan and Aidan both perked up and promptly shuddered from the memory. "—then he did the Argent ritual and killed himself."

"When was this _exactly?_" Deucalion's voice was curt; Scott let the insolence slide since it wasn't directed at him. He turned his thoughts inwards, sifting through old memories.

"It was 1977 or something close."

"Wh—" Deucalion apparently couldn't form words, irritation clear on his face. "How old do people think I am?" The rest of the pack gave him blank looks. "I was _six_ in '77." The older man looked insulted. "I wasn't even a wolf then, let alone an alpha. I wasn't even _in_ America."

"So it _clearly_ wasn't you who kill Gerard's brother," Aiden stated, "but they think it was you. Seems like a poor lie."

"It is," Kali agreed. "But the Argents are a 'blood is thicker than water' type of group, I don't think they care one way or another. They just want Scott and Deucalion dead."

"Then we kill them first," Scott snapped. "Follow the plan and take out the leader, leave town and let the rest of the hunters follow."

"Sounds good to me," Kali said, cracking her knuckles. A wild gleam entered her eyes at the thought of a fight.

"It's a good plan," Derek insisted, "but this could take a long time to pan out. It could take several months to pick off all the hunters that chase us." He turned to Scott, eyes cautious. "You sure you want to do that for so long?"

"It's not like there's any other choice," Ethan argued. "We either wait for them to ambush and kill us or go on the offensive. I'd rather live."

"Yes, but—" Scott could feel Derek's concern. He was worried what this would do to Scott. That it would push him further into his path of carnage. He was right, of course. No weakness. Never hesitate. His own dark whispers stirred within. Scott could almost feel a tickle of breath on his neck and he held back a shudder.

"I've made my choice, Derek." Scott ended the conversation there.

.

* * *

.

Kali brought them to an old army compound on the outskirts of the city; a site of several industrial buildings. The metal structure was rusted and cracked with age but still able to provide a fortified base, with several recent and rushed changes made. Row after row of weapons, crates, and well-equipped army jeeps could be seen through the front hanger doors. To a stranger, it would appear as if the Argents were planning to invade a small nation.

The night air was chilled against Scott's skin as he and his pack scouted the compound, their breath visible and harsh as the adrenaline rushed through them. It wasn't Chris Argent they discovered fairly quickly. Scott didn't want to kill Allison's father and didn't want Allison to come after him because he would kill her. For himself and for his pack. It was, however, still an Argent and that meant they were dangerous. That much was clear as Kali pointed out all their defenses, that electricity and wolfsbane were a real possibility and an incredible danger; things they didn't usually have to worry about when attacking another pack.

The only thing Scott had going for him was surprise; they don't expect him to attack, didn't realized he was aware of their plan.

"Aiden, Ethan; go for the cars," Scott ordered, starting to stalk forward, a red glow starting to burn in his eyes. "Remove their engines, I don't want any to escape." The twins rushed off and Scott embraced the wild anger inside him as well as the rush of beginning an assault. "The rest of you: attack."

The change ripped through him. His bones splintered and his skin stretched. Painful, like falling through shards of glass, but anger dulled it. Scott let darkness consume his vision and when he could see again, it was as a wolf. The air was no longer cold, the world burned and sang for him to destroy. Kali and Derek were already engaging the first of the hunters. Kali's feral laugh echoed across the air. Scott jolted as a roar sounded next to him and he glanced over, surprised to see Deucalion had fully transformed into his demon state. Rippling muscles flexed under grayish blue skin as he shed his jacket, red eyes glowed steadily ahead with sight and Scott had to admire the raw power that was coming off Deucalion in the moment. It called to him, deep in his chest, and made the young wolf rear back and howl up at the moon, sending power to his pack.

Scott bounded into the fray, dashing through the screams and blood. Metal encased his world as he entered the building, dirt and cement hard underneath his paws. The hunters were in chaos, shots going off from every directions. Panicked orders were being shouted to no one. Bullet shells covered the ground as Scott dashed around and took a hunter from the back, tearing at his legs before reaching his throat. The blood tasted of oil and dirt, Scott spat out what he could, disgusted, before turning around to hunt for the leader.

This Argent had a much larger team with her than he had assumed. It had been hard to tell from the outside and Kali had been unsure how many hunters had yet to arrive. Later, Scott would learn she was one of the daughters of Gerard's brother, claiming a personal vendetta against Scott and Deucalion. For the time, he searched for any clue to which hunter was the leader only knowing she was female as all the Argent leaders were.

"The demon wolf! Focus on the demon!" Scott's head whipped around. Across the building, with a circle of hunters surrounding her in a well fortified position behind several sandbags and crates, a young woman with long blond hair screamed the order. Although blond, she didn't look like Kate or Chris, but their eyes were similar; blind passion and ruthless determination dwelled within them and Scott could even see hints of Gerard.

"Flares, now!" She gave a signal with her hand and Scott winced as a flash grenade went off close to him, singeing his fur. He yelped and crouched low, giving a warning bark to his pack before whipping away, dashing low to the ground and making for the threat. If he killed her, the other hunters would flee. She was his target. _Kill_.

Two young hunters tried to flank him, one threw a spiked net at Scott and he back-peddled quickly, leaping and rolling away. The other shot at him, and white needles of pain tore at his collar as Scott screamed. He stumbled as he lost his footing before digging his paws into the ground and launching himself forward. The hunter cried out as Scott slammed into him, gun clattering to the ground, as his claws ripped at the flesh underneath him. The other hunter pulled his own gun out and Scott flinched, bracing and giving a yelp as another body crashed into his.

More screaming and roars as Scott scrambled to his feet, looking to see as Deucalion engaged the hunter in front of him. He spun and yanked the gun from the young man's hand, a foot thrust forward and a sickening crunch filled the air as Deucalion crushed the man's knee. As he went down, Deucalion's free hand swiped out as he caught him across the throat and blood splattered everywhere.

In the moment of silence that followed, their eyes met. Scott stared at the dead hunter. Deucalion had...saved him? He met the older wolf's gaze again. Deucalion looked just as confused as Scott felt.

"He—you—" Deucalion's shoulders tensed and his posture grew stiff. He dropped the gun to the floor and stared at it. "I just—"

"Live wire!" Kali screamed and Scott reared his head up, looking around for her.

An electrical explosion rocked him back, sending the young wolf flying into several heavy cartons filled with, what he assumed, water. Which was horrible news if someone was throwing electricity around; just his luck. Scott stood back up, shaking off the water from his coat. The fighting had stopped, for the moment, it seemed. He growled and waited for his pack to answer his call.

They all did, though Derek's sounded pained and Deucalion's was shaky with a tremor of fear running through it. Scott looked as saw Deucalion struggling to his feet and he padded over, fighting against the sickening feeling that whispered to run away. Deucalion was his, he just needed to check that his beta was unharmed. That was all.

"_Alpha_." Deucalion's hand reached out for him as the boy approached, but stopped and jerked his hand back, unsure and wary at the weakness he showed. Deucalion was still fully transformed but his eyes were dim, sight gone temporarily. The darkness pushed again for Scott to leave and rejoin the fight—drove a spike of pain through his mind, but Scott pushed against it.

_Mine_. He nipped lightly at the man's fingers and as an afterthought, licked an apology. He wanted to say thank you, but possessiveness was the best he could do at the moment. Deucalion recoiled at first, but at Scott's lick he went still, his mask slipping, a stunned look sliding on his face.

The second was ruined by another explosion but thankfully far away enough that Scott couldn't even feel the heat from the blast. He quickly leapt away and went back to focusing on the Argent leader. As he ran away he thought he heard Deucalion say thank you, but it was impossible to tell with all the noise.

Scott saw Aidan and Ethan fighting against five hunters, their combined form standing a full foot above even the tallest man. Scott leapt up into the air and landed on their broad shoulders, using them as a springboard to jump off and tear the throat out of a hunter about to slash at them with a machete. The twins picked up another human and threw them over Scott, knocking over a girl who was aiming her gun at their alpha's head.

Scott snarled at his betas to continue the attack, twisting around and running back through the thicket, bounding over a burning truck. He found Kali dealing with more hunters, although she seemed to be doing just fine on her own. Completely soaked in blood, his she-alpha was laughing uncontrollably, slicing people with her claws. Scott seriously debated on whether she even needed his help or if he should move on.

The decision was made for him as a crack sounded in the air and then a pained yelp froze Scott's blood. Derek screamed again and Scott fought not to cry out in pain as well. His body was numb as Scott turned to try to find his pack mate.

"If you want your beta to live then you'll come out into the open, _true_ alpha!" the Argent called, voice echoing. Scott sprung into action, barely hearing Kali's "_Scott, no!_" He targeted the Argent woman, several hundred feet away, and made a dash for her. Derek was lying at her feet and he couldn't discern his condition. The shadows crowded in his mind and pushed Scott forward, demanding he kill this woman who would hurt something of _his_. Another smaller part of his mind, cried out for his friend and only wanted to see him safe. Both feelings scraped through Scott's mind like nails on a chalkboard, drawing him into a frenzy.

A roar tore itself from his throat. His eyes locked on her throat before he lunged. All Scott could see was red. The Argent woman threw herself back, hurling a handful of powder at the werewolf. Scott grunted as he slammed into an invisible wall, crumpling to the ground. His paws slipped and scratched along the rough dirt as he tried to heave himself up, looking for what he hit. A ring of black dust surrounded him and a chill ran through the young wolf.

"Mountain ash," the Argent confirmed, her grin hard and righteous. Scott felt his lungs seize and fur stand on end as he started to panic and claw frantically at the barrier. It felt like running his paws across burning ice shards but Scott didn't stop, even when he started to bleed. Derek groaned from the ground, eyes meeting Scott's, fear clear in them. He tried to reach a hand out to his alpha but the Argent sunk a blade in it for his trouble, pinning him to the ground.

_Derek!_ Scott's bark came out hysterical and alerted the rest of his pack.

"Take out the rest!" the Argent woman called to her troops.

A hunter pointed to Scott. "And the alpha?" He ignored them and kept trying to break through, growling and attempting to get Derek to look at him. The older boy's stomach was covered in blood where he'd been shot. At the scent of wolfsbane, Scott pulled back, howling a warning to his pack. Derek didn't have a lot of time.

"Leave it in the circle," the Argent answered, hefting a rifle over her shoulder. If the bullet came from her, then she would have more on her person: it was the key to saving Derek. "We'll light up the place when we leave and let him burn to death."

Scott threw his body against the mountain ash circle. Never had he actually managed to break one, as when he'd tried with Deaton, it had failed spectacularly and the Sheriff had to save him. A whine escaped him as he pushed with all his might, blue sparks flying with the force of the magic. Scott switched tactics and leapt back, drawing a deep breath and gave the best roar he had. It made the hunters flinch and Derek's eyes glow red, renewing his struggle, but to no avail. The barrier stayed firm.

The Argent shook her head, "You know these can't be broken. Blood for blood, alpha. Stop struggling and accept it's over."

Funny she should say that just as Deucalion tore into the group. His screams were wild and he ripped the young man standing next to the Argent in half with his bare hands. The hunters scattered, several shooting at the demon wolf but for the most part, their bullets bounced off. Scott saw the Argent woman load her rifle and he barked a warning to Deucalion. The older alpha threw himself to the side as she fired a wolfsbane bullet and missed.

"Flash bang arrows, now!" she ordered and Scott saw his alpha flinch.

_Take Derek! Leave!_ He tried to put his order behind his growl, only really able to convey emotions in his wolf form. _Leave!_

Deucalion rushed forward, taking the hunter in front of him by surprise and grabbing the young woman by her throat. He pulled her close and used the girl as a shield, halting the Argent as she raised her gun again.

"If you must shoot, then be careful where you aim." His voice was like silk, calming and trying to play the hunters all that he could. Again, Scott was struck as Deucalion seemed like his old self in that moment. A beacon of light in the darkness or a steady beat amongst a chorus of chaos. A part of Scott missed that man. "Humans care about their young, yes? Or am I mistaken? Shoot her if she truly means nothing."

The girl sobbed in Deucalion's grasp and all the hunters around them had stopped fighting, most had their guns raised, but Scott could tell they had no desire to shoot. After another moment he realized most of the hunters were young, his age—Allison's age when she had been recruited.

The Argent woman cocked her gun and Deucalion released a harsh laugh. "My you are as cutthroat as your reputation claims. Quiet like Gerard then." He glanced down at the girl in his arms. "I'm sorry, my dear, it looks like you're expendable."

"Shut up," the Argent finally spoke, her face grim. "We all know the risks. We are all expendable if it means killing wild dogs." Scott blinked as he realized Deucalion wasn't doing this to make the hunters stand down, he was trying to buy time for Kali and the twins to notice.

"Says the woman holding the gun," Deucalion countered, showing his fangs in a parody of a smile. In the instant Kali and the twins burst onto the scene, though both were sporting serious injuries. The hunters scattered and Scott watched as Deucalion shoved the girl away from him. She fell as her chest burst open as bullets riddled her body. By the time her body hit the floor, Deucalion had already sprinted towards Derek, crouched down, and scooped up the young man. Scott looked back to the dead girl, her long black hair covered her lifeless eyes. Parallels between her and Allison crossed his mind.

A movement caught his eye and Scott saw a hunter lift a bow and take aim at Deucalion, slowed by the weight of Derek. Scott's alarmed bark was drowned out by the crack of thunder and several screams. He shook his head and tried to clear his vision as spots danced everywhere. Scott looked up again to see Derek laying on the ground alone, still suffering from the wolfsbane, but otherwise unharmed. Deucalion was sprawled several feet away clutching his left shoulder, a hole blown wide through it, his entire arm and half his face covered in electrical burns. He was screaming, Scott realized, but he couldn't pick it out from the rest of the clamor.

Scott was snarling with a terrible rage and his eyes glowed raw with power. He was oblivious to how much strength he was using in that moment. His pack was in great danger and he had to protect them. It was the only thing he had ever been good at. Deucalion's eyes opened, sightless, and somehow met Scott's. The boy realized he was crying—whether from fear or pain, he never knew—and something snapped. Scott howled again. He shoved forward with a strength he found deep inside, past the darkness, to something more powerful. It broke through.

Magic exploded, cascading around him in red and blue sparks. Scott fell back to his feet, didn't even hesitate, and went straight for the Argent. People screamed, hunters turned and fled when they saw what he had done. Mountain ash was absolute.

Werewolves couldn't break through.

"What _are_ you!?" the woman shrieked as Scott's teeth found her throat. The darkness rushed back into him and the young alpha tore her to shreds as Kali and the twins finished off the remaining hunters. When Kali moved to chase after the retreating humans, Scott snarled at her, ordering her to stay. He lifted the Argent's rifle ammo pack, filled with wolfsbane and pointed his head to Derek's form. Kali sighed at being denied a hunt but she nodded and grabbed the pack, racing to Derek's side.

Scott limped over to Deucalion, worry eating at him more than he was comfortable admitting. The older wolf shivered in pain, Scott realized, uninjured hand clutching the opposite shoulder, trying to cover the gaping hole in it. What disturbed Scott the most was the lack of blood, instead there was the smell of burnt flesh and blackened skin. Deucalion was going into shock and his voice shook as Scott approached him.

"_Alpha_..." Scott winced. Deucalion wasn't supposed to sound that broken. The fear within his chest grew until it overwhelmed everything else, even the darkness. Scott leaned forward, whining, and pushed his forehead to Deucalion's. The man gave a quiet sob, shuddering as another wave of pain seemed to hit and the next thing Scott realized, he was licking gently at the tear tracks on the unburnt side of Deucalion's face.

It was small, the gesture, but Deucalion curled closer to him, panic overcoming his own instincts. Scott wasn't sure how, but the man took strength from that, his breathing evened out, tears stopping. He pulled his hand away from his wound to run trembling fingers over Scott's snout and up to his ears, something close to petting. Scott allowed him.

He pulled back as the twins came running up and dropped next to Deucalion on either side.

"This is bad." Aiden's voice cracked. "He needs medical attention."

"I'll try to heal what I can in the meantime." Ethan reached out to the older alpha, intent on taking his pain to speed the healing process. A hand caught his and Deucalion growled.

"Don't," he ordered but his voice was weak, arm shaking at the effort. "You could loose your—yo—" he broke off coughing and gasping for breath.

"I know my limits!" Ethan argued and turned to Scott for support.

"If we don't do this, the injuries could be permanent!" Aiden gritted his teeth. "Like your eyes! Your arm could become useless—worse you could loose it! Let us try to heal you!"

"Alpha, please!" Ethan begged. Scott took one look at _his_ broken, bleeding alpha and nodded at the twins.

_Do what you must_. His growl held authority and Deucalion slumped in defeat and Ethan gently grabbed his injured arm and winced as his blood veins turned black with pain.

"We'll take turns," Aiden assured the two alphas, "we won't go past our limit." Scott nodded and turned towards Kali and Derek, making his way over. At his questioning huff, Kali showed him Derek's abdomen, the wolfsbane bullet hole slowly disappearing as his natural healing ability was able to take over.

"He'll be just fine," Kali assured Scott and the young wolf licked at his friend's face.

"I'm sorry, Scott," Derek choked out, though his grimace lessened at Scott's odd form of greeting. "I thought I had her." Scott nipped lightly at his neck in admonishment. "I-Is Deucalion ok? He shielded me from the flash bang." Scott shook his head and Derek's eyes widened. He turned his head quickly, trying to control his emotions and let nothing show. It didn't work. Derek had a horrible poker face and Scott felt the terror and sadness radiating from his pack mate.

"He'll live. If the twins take turns healing him, I guess we'll see," Kali commented. Scott checked her out for injuries as well and she batted his head away. "I'm fine, Alpha. We lived, but just barely. Even with you and Deucalion at full strength it was almost not enough." Scott nodded. "We need to leave, go overseas and lay low. Not for a few months, but a few years. I know the hunters will chase us, but most won't leave the country. We can kill the rest as they come, like you planned, but I believe your reputation precedes you—us, too much now. Time to fade into the background for awhile."

Scott huffed in agreement. They wouldn't be as well-known overseas and if they kept quiet, no one would even know they were there. People would notice their absence and wonder if the Argent attack had been successful. Hopefully, his pack would be forgotten, or at least, just become a story, until he was ready to strike again. He licked at Kali's cheek, which she made a face and wiped at immediately, and collapsed next to Derek, exhausted beyond all reason.

"I do have a question, though." And for the first time Kali sounded unsure. Scott met her eyes. "You shouldn't have been able to break that circle, Alpha. No wolf can. Just what are you?"

There were no words Scott could form to respond her. Even if he did, he had no answer. All he had was his pack and the whispers from the shadows.

.

* * *

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_A/N: Thank for all the hits! Glad you guys are enjoying the story. Reviews, as always, are greatly appreciated._


	4. Chapter 4

Recovery was slow for his pack. Deucalion's arm and burns healed completely, although it took several sessions with the twins before he could move his arm around, let alone fight. Scott didn't lay a hand on him the entire time. An irking sense of respect—maybe something more—kept him from taking advantage of the injured man, or perhaps because the fight had left his eyes. In private moments, Scott remembered Deucalion saving him from that hunter, of the older man curling closer to him when injured and that something could develop from that...but the thought was crushed by darkness every time.

Even left untouched, issues still arose with Deucalion. He started having nightmares that flashed back to when his eyes were taken, thrashing in his sleep and waking in a panic-covered sweat. It grated on Scott's nerves, frayed at the edges of the control he tried to leash his temper with. Afraid he would lash out and worsen the situation, he sent Deucalion to the twins. When it didn't get better he made his way to Derek's room.

"You're his alpha," Derek explained with a shrug. Scott laid away from him, in every respect, pouting. At Derek's continued silence, he turned and shot his beta a look. The older boy sighed and continued, "He considers himself yours since you marked him, he _has_ to. The twins can only do so much, you're the only one who's going to really be able to make a difference."

"It's not like I can heal him," Scott spat back, having learned that little tidbit from Deucalion months ago. The rest of his pack could take away people's pain, but he and Deucalion could not anymore. Something to do with the darkness that tainted them both, Scott was sure of it, although, too much of a coward to try and reflect upon what had happened the night of his change. He could feel it on his skin however, like a stain that never washed off.

"You don't have to take away his pain," Derek said and placed a hand at the base of Scott's back. "Even a simple touch can comfort someone." But Scott stayed stubborn, unrelenting until he awoke one night to Deucalion's hushed crying. And it _was_ quiet, a human wouldn't have been able to hear it, but Scott could and it was like shards of glass scraping along his skull. Hot rage burned at the pit of his stomach from that pain, darkness stealing away into his chest and pushing poisonous words past harsh lips.

"I _thought_ we were past this." Scott ran a hand over his face, trying to calm down. It wasn't Deucalion's fault, he couldn't control the nightmares. "Just go to the twins—"

"No, wait." Deucalion forced himself to quiet down and covered his eyes. "I'm sorry, I'll try to be more quiet. I thought—I can do this. Don't send me away."

It didn't make sense why he wanted to stay and it hurt to try and think on it. Scott snarled and stood up. Deucalion winced and folded in on himself, bracing for a blow. His shoulder, although healed, retained an interesting scar that looked a bit like shattered glass. Scott shook his head and tried to shake _more_ than that. All the hatred and fury that crashed through him and made it deflate, too tired to keep arguing. He sat abruptly on the floor and shoved at Deucalion until he had his back to him.

"Just...go to sleep," Scott said and placed a hand on Deucalion's back, in the center where the tattoo of his old pack's symbol was. The man froze at the touch, slowly letting a breath out as he realized what Scott was doing.

"Scott?" Deucalion always tested Scott by saying his name, wanting to know if he was dealing with the boy or the monster. At Scott's lack of reaction the man shifted slightly, looking over his shoulder with red eyes. "It'd be more comfortable to get into the bed—"

"Don't push it," Scott warned, "I'm—" Close to his limit as it was, but it felt weak to admit. He willed Deucalion to understand the effort this was costing him, holding his darkness back to show a kindness. "Just go back to sleep," he repeated. Deucalion took the hint and stayed with his back to Scott. Relaxing after another few minutes and then, drifting off to sleep. Scott followed a few minutes later, head pillowed on his other arm, he rested on the bed. Darkness still flickered at the edges of his mind, but sleep dulled it and the two stayed silent the rest of the night. Deucalion suffered no more nightmares.

Scott awoke gradually drawn by a deep rumble of thunder through the fog. The sound of a smooth baritone, feather-like touches to his cheek reminded him of rain and for a moment Scott was in a forest, eyes closed and smile on his face. It felt like home.

"...Scott?"

Needles raced up his arm and Scott jerked awake. He felt more than saw Deucalion rip his hand away from Scott, face drawn tight in—concern? Scott blinked and the look was gone, instead Deucalion just seemed wary, which was fairly normal and the younger man heaved a sigh.

"_Alpha?_" Deucalion asked quietly, like he was stepping around glass.

"Was that you?" Scott asked. "Calling me awake?"

"I—yes. You weren't waking up." The older man's heartbeat increased slightly, his eyes faded to a glazed blue.

"That was your voice?" Which was a stupid question because who else's voice would Scott have heard. He shook his head. "Sorry, it just sounded—" He stopped himself from saying nice. It just didn't feel right. Awkwardness settled over the silence and Scott ignored the pain shooting through his left arm falling asleep on him.

"Thank you," Deucalion whispered, eyes still blind and face turned away from Scott. The white knuckle grip in the sheets and his ever increasing heartbeat gave away his nervousness. Or maybe it was just flat out fear of Scott lashing out, given their history. For the first time he felt this intense guilt.

The heavy quiet settled around Scott. More than the quiet he felt the flare of his temper and knew there wasn't much time left. He was unused to gratitude to say the least. It weighed on his mind, much like a pressure that pushed him to do more. It felt like a part of him that should be dead.

"I'm—" Deucalion tried to speak, his soft voice cracking, "I don't know anymore."

Scott frowned, confused. "About what?" Deucalion's shoulders slumped and he turned his head back towards Scott, sightless eyes fixed to the floor.

"You."

It was a word that held so many possibilities and meanings. Scott stared, unable to do anything else but try and process. His skin felt burnt, his heart pounded against his chest, and he couldn't get himself to care if Deucalion heard. It wasn't an admission of love or even liking him, but it meant something. To Scott, at least.

When the darkness broke through his lowered defenses, Scott didn't lash out. Instead, his violent urges focused inwards, tearing him down with bitter thoughts of self-loathing and hate. Deucalion was just trying to please him, to save himself from Scott. None of it meant anything. An ugly pain twisted around Scott's spine up the nape of his neck and whispered the truth; he was alone.

Scott swallowed, throat dry, and felt his hope flicker and die.

"It doesn't matter."

They left the country as soon as Deucalion was well enough to travel. Scott's plan worked perfectly; hunters who tried to follow his pack were killed with little effort. He used the advantage of the hunters' inability to move quickly in large groups with great success. Scott let Kali take the lead in eradicating their pursuers; she and the twins, with their raw strength, were able to handle most situations so by the time they got to England, there were no humans left chasing them.

Scott pushed to go further north, unsatisfied with the cities of southern Britain, until they reached Scotland. Research from various sources he had been scouring, as well as Deucalion's own knowledge, showed little hunter activity in that area. A larger city was picked, one that was a common tourist site, before finally settling. They rented out a house and struggled to lay low for the first time since starting out. Scott locked himself away in the first initial months, and felt like he was going insane. Being caged was a first for Scott. He became increasingly agitated and restless as echoes of darkness crept into his mind. He tried focusing on fully controlling himself but his pack's first heat got in the way.

It started one morning when Scott woke up, blinking as patterns of sunlight danced through his blinds. He and Deucalion still shared a room, but not beds, and when Scott awoke, it was to the sound of the other man whining. He felt the bubble of frustration swell in his chest and clenched his jaw, believing Deucalion had finally gotten over his nightmares weeks ago—only for his thoughts to completely derail as he became overwhelmed by a scent; a concentrated aroma of lust. Scott felt his stomach twist at the sensation.

"God, it's too early in the morning," he complained as he stumbled out of bed. Deucalion was turned away from him, probably realizing Scott was not in the mood. The boy repressed a sigh and left the room, snapping the door shut, and yelping as Kali nearly ran over him emitting the same scent. "_What the hell?_" Scott growled, voice stopping the woman dead in her tracks and she was forced to lean against the wall for support, legs trembling. Scott finally started to pay attention to what was happening around him, heightening his senses and growing concerned. "Um, are you alright?" He reached out to touch her and she actually let him, which surprised Scott more than anything. Kali never let _anyone_ touch her.

The she-alpha let out a shaky breath, her scent cloying. Scott broke out into a sweat. He'd never smelled her arousal before and it assaulted his senses.

"It's fine, Alpha," she breathed out, shaking off his hand and pulling her overcoat around herself more securely. With his heightened eyesight, Scott could tell she wore nothing underneath. "Just the heat. I'm going out to find a human, is that alright?" The fact she was even asking his permission sent off more alarm bells. He stepped closer to her and Kali started to tremble with that scent rolling off her. She pushed a hand at his chest and glared, although desire was still in her eyes. "Alpha, if you want me then take me right now."

Scott gaped and hastily stepped back, almost tripping over himself and he reached for the wall. "Um—what? N-No, it's ok. G-Go find a human, it's fine. Uh—same rules as usual."

She nodded and practically dashed out of the house, leaving a dumbfounded Scott in her wake. Kali had never even looked at him like that, let alone offered to have sex. Scott tilted his head, contemplating if this was a female werewolf thing and went over to Derek's room to ask. He pushed open the door and gave an exasperated yell as the same scent hit him.

"Alright, _what_ the hell?" Scott asked aggressively. Derek jerked away from his bed, coughing nervously, starting to sweat. He looked torn between moving closer to his alpha or staying where he was. His pounding heart and his scent told Scott enough. "I swear to God if you tell me to take you right here and now, I'm going to loose it."

"Uh—" Derek gave a full-body shudder and awkwardly stepped closer to Scott, trembling hands shoved into his pockets before he changed his mind and quickly turned around. "I mean—if-if you want..." His voice grew low with coy excitement, but cracked at the end and Scott could tell how uneasy he was. Derek paced around the room, shooting Scott conflicted looks of longing and lust, but refused to say anything, face bright red. It got annoying fast.

"You know what? It can wait." Scott pointed to the door. "Go find a human and work this out of your system, _now_." Derek raced out the door, although not before making an odd whine and brushing his entire body up against Scott's, letting the younger alpha feel his half-hard erection. Scott sighed and pushed him away, not even attempting to open up Aiden and Ethan's room.

"If you two are as jacked up on sexual energy as everyone else, leave!" Two lust-filled barks answered back and Scott resisted the urge to punch something, heading back to his room and planning to kick Deucalion out so he could find a human as well. Later tonight, when someone was sensible, he was going to get answers.

"Hey," Scott announced as he opened his door, "go out and—" He was cut off as Deucalion attacked his mouth, pressing tight against Scott and letting out a whimper. In all of their time together this was the first time he had demanded anything from his alpha. It was like being split in half, torn asunder as within that single moment, a small part of Scott _wanted_. Desperate and fleeting, he nonetheless felt his eyes start to close as he was truly kissed for the first time since Allison. It was in that fragile instant that darkness rushed forth, consumed him, and Scott felt a scream tear itself from his throat.

He threw Deucalion off him with a snarl as a wild fury coursed through his blood, unstoppable. He ducked low and barreled into the older man, knocking the wind from him. As they slammed into the ground, Scott felt his arm move by itself and crashed his fist against Deucalion's face for even touching him at all, followed by savagely biting down on his neck for the kiss. The man groaned, but in pleasure rather than pain, thrusting his hips up against Scott's. Hands grabbed a hold of the boy's waist and ground against him. Scott yelped and leapt back, irritated and confused.

"What the hell is _wrong_ with you!?" he yelled, almost suffocating as he struggled against the warring emotions inside himself. Deucalion didn't respond, but got up again and made for him. Scott lost his patience for an answer and struck out, palm connecting with the other wolf's ribs and a crack sounded. Deucalion fell to his knees, finally grunting in pain, but he remained hard and his scent only grew stronger.

Which is how Scott ended up sitting out on his own roof the entire day sulking.

The only one of his wolves to return to the den with a human was Derek, leading a beautiful woman with auburn hair and just a hint of wrinkles along her eyes, pausing frequently to kiss her in the street. She didn't complain.

Scott blinked and frowned. Derek had a thing for older women, _right_. Memories of Kate and Jennifer ran through his mind and Scott shuddered, turning his thoughts elsewhere as he waited for the day to pass.

It wasn't until night fell that Kali finally returned home. Her heels clicked sharply along the pavement, shadow defined against the bright moonlight, but stopped short when she saw Scott. He gave a lame wave and continued brooding, playing with a spare wolfsbane bullet he had kept after the hunter attack. Derek had given it to him, citing it as a token of luck and a precaution.

After a few minutes of waiting, Kali appeared on the roof to join him, thankfully dressed in her casual indoor clothes. Her scent was still strong, but not near the potency it had been earlier.

"First heat, I take it?" She rolled her eyes at Scott's huff that he'd picked up from his wolf form. He pocketed the bullet. "I'll answer what I can."

"Cool, so...what the _fuck?_" Scott could have been more eloquent, but he chose not to be. Of course using the word 'fuck' probably wasn't a good idea as Kali shivered at his voice and Scott quickly scooted back in alarm.

"Relax, Alpha." She sighed, running a hand through her hair. "I really _don't_ want to mate with you, no offense."

"Same here," Scott assured her.

"Listen, packs go into heat about once every year," Kali began, "Sometimes more, sometimes less. It's like the weather; a bit unpredictable. With us fighting and moving so much last year I wasn't surprised when nothing happened. Now that we've settled down a bit, it'll start to regulate."

"_Oh god_." Scott could feel the ache start in the back of his head.

"What you've done today is pretty much what most modern alphas do," Kali admitted. "Originally during a heat the alpha would go to each pack member and give them release—" Scott must have made a face, because Kali started to laugh "—but that's not so mainstream anymore. All the alphas I've been under have let their pack go off and pick up humans, or other wolves, to deal with their desires. For years I've had Ennis, this was the first time I had to go out and find a human again." She paused. "Actually it was pretty good, I haven't been with a woman in about a decade."

"How long does it last?" Scott asked.

"Oh, the worst of it is just a day so long as our needs are met." Kali twirled her hair with a finger. "Just don't be surprised if we're a bit twitchy over the next few days and keep coming up to talk. We'll be drawn to our alpha until the heat leaves our system."

"What should I do about Deucalion, then?" Scott demanded. "He won't go out and look for anybody else! He's just been in my room waiting for me to return. Even when I hurt him he still kept coming. H-He—" Scott wasn't sure how much to tell Kali, as they weren't particularly close. He generally wasn't open with the rest of his pack outside of Derek.

"Of course he won't leave." Kali gave him a puzzled look. "He's _yours_. He considers himself yours since you marked him. Deucalion is very mired in the older ways of wolf lore. He won't go out and seek anyone except his alpha—I don't even think he can."

"Great..." Scott sighed, ugly feelings tried to arise in him and he pushed them down. When Deucalion had kissed him, too much happened. Too many emotions had crowded against him and it had hurt. He was scared to face that again.

"What's the problem? You fuck him all the time."

"It's not that," the younger alpha disclosed quietly. He didn't trusted Kali, but Scott needed someone to talk to and Derek wasn't here. "It's that he kept trying to touch me, t-to make it intimate. He probably doesn't have any control right now, but...I can't stand being touched." It felt weird admitting to someone at last and he never would have thought it'd be Kali. He left out the part about being scared, about actually wanting intimacy but being unable to attain it anymore thanks to this darkness. He didn't want to appear too weak. The woman next to him frowned, turning her head away in thought.

"Huh, strange," she hummed. "I'm the same way." Both alphas looked at each other in a new light. "Yeah, I can't stand when people try to touch me, it's why I have to be on top. Ennis understood somewhat, he never argued about it anyways."

"I wasn't always like this," Scott continued, opening up just a bit more. "But ever since—" and he gestured to his whole body "—it just doesn't seem right."

"I understand," Kali said, whether she truly did or not Scott couldn't tell. The woman rolled her eyes at Scott's continued brooding and looked off to the side, thinking. "Just use your voice with Deucalion, we can't disobey orders while in heat. If you command him not to touch you, he can't. It'll be tough on him, but you can get everything done and it'll ease his heat to a bearable level."

"Mmm." Scott leaned back against the roof, looking up at the night sky. The stars always appeared still and calm, he wished it would be the same for him. "Why am _I_ not really feeling any of this?"

"Probably because of who you are." At Scott's raised eyebrow, Kali shook her head and gave an exasperated sigh. "You're our alpha. It'd be pretty stupid if the alpha were incapacitated as well during this."

"Good point." The two shared a companionable silence for a long time after that. Scott figured in part due to the fact that Kali was drawn to him right now, but he still liked it nonetheless. Besides Derek, Kali had never given him trouble for his decisions or judged him. "Thanks Kali," he said, hopping back up. "Better go deal with the stubborn wolf now."

Deucalion was still waiting in his room, body taunt with want and arousal, sitting on Scott's bed, head in hands, erection straining dark red between his legs. The older wolf snapped to attention when Scott entered the room, rushing to the young alpha.

"STOP," Scott ordered and just like Kali had said, Deucalion stopped a foot away, not moving, although his body strained against the imposed space restriction.

"_Please_," the man begged. His skin was flushed and sweaty from constant stimulation, precome dripped from his cock just from being in Scott's proximity. His voice and the rough quality added to it in arousal, made Scott shiver. He squeezed his eyes shut and tried to calm his heartbeat, body on the brink of an emotional collapse. Like murky water that hid deadly churning underneath, Scott knew he needed to do this as fast and detached as possible if he wanted to keep his sanity—what was left of it anyways.

Scott took a deep breath and immediately realized that being this close to Deucalion in heat, as his scent slammed through Scott, was a mistake. For a moment Scott began to panic until he realized what was happening. The darkness was...fading?

Like a tidal wave, as the scent of the heat washed over him, his temper was pushed further to the back of his mind. Scott inhaled again, a little stunned as he felt himself relax for the first time in over a year. This was—he was _himself_. Scott grit his teeth and tried not to cry. The relief and happiness within him was almost too much.

"_Alpha?_" Scott was pulled back to reality. Deucalion's eyes were wild with raw lust and hunger, but vulnerable too. Scott could pick out fear lurking in his bright red eyes, always there, always wary. He wanted Scott now more than ever before, but it was still forced upon him and he was terrified of how Scott could use it against him. If what Kali had said was true, he could make Deucalion do anything. The man trembled in front of him, both in desire and dread. It reminded Scott of that first night...

...but he could be _different_ right now.

Scott finally smiled and pushed against Deucalion, backing him up against the wall until their bodies were flush against each other. Deucalion gasped at the contact, tilting his head to the side, displaying his neck. Scott reached out with his hands to caress down Deucalion's collarbone, human fingernails scraping gently across the skin. Scott felt the call of the heat push harder against him, felt the darkness fade even more and at last, brought his lips to Deucalion's neck. He mouthed at the flesh, almost kissing it, teeth and tongue scraping and tasting sweat and a spice that was all Deucalion. Scott's smile widened and he lavished the skin underneath him, covering himself in Deucalion's scent and taste; relishing in the familiarity of his body and the sense of security it seemed to radiate.

Deucalion finally moaned loudly and Scott slid his hand down to start pleasuring him, slow and firm strokes with just a hint of his nails. Deucalion shuddered and choked back another groan, clearly fighting against the urge to curl closer to Scott.

"Wh-what are—" Scott pulled back just enough to glance up at Deucalion. The older man's eyes were a bright red, torn with several different emotions, but confusion being at the forefront. Scott couldn't blame him; he was being gentle and that was a side of him Deucalion had never really experienced before. "_Scott?_" The name was torn from Deucalion's throat as the boy sped up his strokes. Scott leaned up close to Deucalion, teeth scraping teasingly at his earlobe.

"What do you want?" he whispered. He could order Deucalion to do anything right now, _anything_. But Scott's mind was free and instead, he wished only one thing. "Tell me how I can help." Deucalion opened his mouth but didn't answer, or couldn't seem to figure out how. Scott's free hand cupped his cheek and he busied his mouth kissing Deucalion's neck again, waiting for a response. He sunk his teeth into the flesh just hard enough to leave indents and Deucalion whimpered, hips thrusting against Scott.

"I don't understand..." It drew Scott out of the moment and he stopped what he was doing. Deucalion whined at the loss, but as Scott studied him, he saw how stunned the man really was. He had fully expected Scott to use the heat against him, or to abuse him, or simply ignore him. Deucalion had probably expected Scott to do hundreds of other things except what he was currently doing. He wasn't used to Scott being kind.

Scott's body moved on it's own; he grabbed both of Deucalion's legs and hauled him up, grinding on him in such a way that had the older man crying out in ragged desire as his body spasmed in pleasure and he clutched at Scott's back out of reflex. He flinched, waiting for Scott to strike him at the intimate touch, but froze as nothing happened—as he was allowed to touch for once. Scott thrust against him, lips traveling up his body until they met his throat and then he trailed kisses along Deucalion's jaw and their foreheads were pressed against each other.

"Scott?" Deucalion asked again, gaze sharpening in realization.

"Hey," Scott responded and thrust again, making Deucalion whine and fold in on himself, head falling to Scott's neck. "Heat's keeping me sane right now," he explained quickly, wincing as the darkness lashed out at him. His temper beckoned and Scott shrugged it off, nipping at the offered neck in front of him instead. "Now tell me what you need." Deucalion's breath came out harshly against Scott's neck and he felt a wetness against his shirt collar, but ignored it.

"Just fuck me," Deucalion muttered at last, fingers digging into Scott's back as he started meeting him thrust for thrust. "I want this to be over."

Scott didn't know what he had expected, but he didn't think it would hurt to hear those words. Deucalion still didn't trust or want to be intimate with him, but he was desperate enough to play along with Scott right now. Part of the boy recoiled; he'd thought that maybe...just maybe, things had been changing between the two of them.

That had been stupid on his part. Deucalion wasn't his by choice and probably didn't want to do this; he had to, he didn't have an alternative; his body was making him act this way to Scott. The darkness called again, reminding Scott he was alone. It pushed to be let back in. Scott shook his head and pulled back, releasing Deucalion and letting him stand again.

He gave his best devil-may-care grin. "I can do that." He didn't let the pain show. Deucalion seemed at a loss again, like he had been expecting a different reaction, but Scott dragged him over to the bed. He let Deucalion lay on the bed, back to Scott, before grabbing his hips and grinding teasingly against him. Deucalion dropped his head against the sheets, whining in anticipation as Scott undid his jeans. He noted some slickness around Deucalion's entrance and swiped a finger over it, making the other man buckle and choke out a groan.

"Did you already prepare yourself?" Scott asked and received a heated nod. More guilt crashed into him, imagining Deucalion waiting in this room by himself unable to find relief. The building hormones in his body, clamoring to peak and the increase of fear at what Scott would do to him. Maybe he had even been hoping Scott would ignore him. Darkness flashed through his mind, blinding him momentarily with pain and Scott pressed his palm to his head. He must have made a noise because Deucalion stilled underneath him.

"Scott—"

"It's cool, we're good." He couldn't let his pain show. This was for Deucalion, not himself. Scott steeled his mind and quickly slid into Deucalion. The man gasped and immediately shoved himself back down further onto Scott, growling and demanding more. Scott thrust in as fast as he could, unsure if he should give the other time to adjust. Deucalion didn't seem to care as he took everything Scott had, moaning filthily and pushing back eagerly.

"_This_. Just more of this," Deucalion gasped, voice catching in his throat at each thrust.

Scott reached forward and pinned Deucalion's head down with one hand, fingers sliding through coarse bronze hair and pounded relentlessly against his body. He wanted more. He knew that now, it's what he always craved. The darkness actually protected him from these feelings because it could never happen. This was as close as he and Deucalion were ever going to get. Scott shook his head, this was no time for tears.

Deucalion writhed underneath him in pleasure, begging for more. Scott knew what he needed, what his body craved and pulled Deucalion up by his hair, in a way he knew it wouldn't hurt, and bit at his neck.

"Do you want to touch yourself?" Scott egged him on, careful not to order Deucalion. He continued to slam against the older man, his remaining hand on Deucalion's hip switching to circle around his waist. "You know you can, right? You said you wanted this to be over." Deucalion's fangs extended in excitement as he jerked against Scott, a hand coming up to stroke himself hurriedly in time with Scott's movements. It didn't last long with that much stimulation. Deucalion clenched around Scott and the boy watched as he released, come coating his hand as he felt the low whine vibrate against him.

Scott quickly pulled out, knowing Deucalion was oversensitive but—

"_Don't stop_."

Scott halted his movements and looked over at his bedmate. Deucalion's body was drenched in sweat, hair covering his eyes, but Scott realized his hand hadn't left his cock and he was still touching himself. His scent was as potent as ever and the young man realized that they were far from over. Apparently, Deucalion didn't get over-stimulated during a heat. Good to know.

"_Please_..." He didn't like how Deucalion begged and Scott jumped forward, lining himself up and sliding back into the older man.

"You don't have to beg," he said before he shushed the man and started up a fast pace again. Deucalion's face twisted, as if he realized something about Scott's words, but it quickly crumbled to desire as the heat consumed him again and he pushed back against Scott's thrusts. "Just tell me what you want," Scott reiterated.

"Say I'm yours."

"I—" Alright, Scott hadn't expected Deucalion to say that. This was the heat talking, of course. It had to be. Scott nodded and let his eyes glow a bright crimson, growling the words, "_Mine_." Deucalion shuddered violently, almost coming undone just from that. It confirmed for Scott that it was just something any submissive wolf in heat wanted to hear.

It continued for several more hours until the heat left Deucalion's body and his scent started to wane. Scott collapsed next to him, breathing hard. The fact that he had finally managed to do something right caused a small smile to come to his face.

"Are you ok?" he asked quietly. Deucalion answered with a low groan, but there was no pain in his voice and Scott took that as an affirmative. He struggled to sit up and glanced over the other man's body, happy to see no bruises or blood besides where his neck had been marked. Scott took a deep breath and was relieved that the cloying scent was finally dying. Which meant—

Scott almost blacked out from the pain as darkness completely engulfed him, so sudden that he nearly didn't realize what was happening. It was as if every area of his mind had spikes being driven through it, needles dripped in acid pounded into his skull and Scott fell back against the bed. A soft whimper escaped him. The pain was numbing and Scott curled up on himself, clutching at his temples. An ugly aftereffect of the heat; where before his hormones had been blocking his temper now nothing was left to contain it.

"Scott...I wanted—"

Deucalion started to saying something and Scott could feel as all the darkness and rage shifted to focus on the man next to him and he panicked. He couldn't let this happen. Deucalion didn't deserve his temper and with the heat still in his system, Scott could make him suffer in even worse ways than before, could order him to hurt himself. _No_.

Scott threw himself out of bed and tumbled to the floor. He needed to leave this house, he needed to get away from people. He didn't want to hurt anyone and in this state, he'd lash out at even Derek.

"Scott?" The boy turned and snarled, the name grating on his already abused mind and Deucalion recoiled away, back to the bed. Scott saw the fear flood into his red eyes. "_Alpha?_" Scott's body stood and started to stalk forward, power and anger coiled and ready to unleash.

He couldn't make it out of the house, didn't have the willpower to move that much so Scott did the only thing he could. His claws slid out and Scott buried them deep in his arm, underneath his tattoo until blood was steadily dripping to the floor. It pulled him away from the pain in his head, long enough to drag himself over to the bathroom and slam the door shut, lock it and crawl into the bathtub.

His anger and darkness could rage out all it wanted in here. It wracked his body with pain until he had screamed himself horse. But Scott didn't care. He couldn't hurt anyone here. True he was strong enough to rip the door off its hinges, any of his wolves could, but he was in too much pain to move with nothing to direct his temper at and the others would be too scared to check on him...he hoped. Scott jerked as another wave of pain washed over him and he contemplated the worth of being himself for a few hours again if this was the cost.

Visions of his pack and old friends swarmed his mind, of their disgust and loathing over what he was now. He was alone, always. There would be no escape from this. Scott blinked and realized he had started crying. It would have to be worth it, he decided. If he could choose to be kind, even once, then this pain was worth it. He shivered against the cold, white porcelain of the bathtub and tried to ignore the screams in his mind and the pain in his body.

It turned out that his punishment wasn't just a one day ordeal. For his brief hours of freedom, Scott suffered days of increased darkness, blotting out most rational thought. His temper would flare at the slightest thing and even though he was able to leave the bathroom after several hours of hiding in fear, he could not stay at the house. For the rest of the heat he would be untouchable and vicious and generally left as soon as he could, until he had calmed down enough that he deemed himself safe. It was a horrible price to pay and it hurt his pack to not be around their alpha the one time they needed him, but the alternative was far worse.

As Kali had suggested, their heats normalized and about every eleven months, Scott would wake up to a certain scent saturating his house. At first, it was relieving that he was released from his internal prison and he practically threw himself at Deucalion, pleasuring the older man until he was on the brink of collapse and he saw the other completely satisfied. Then, before any words could be exchanged, Scott would lock himself in the bathroom to wait out the worst of the pain before he could muster the strength needed to flee their den. Derek would always return to the house while Kali would disappear for almost as long as Scott, probably considering the house not worthy of her attention if their alpha wasn't present. The twins would leave to find humans, but always came back the next day to check on Deucalion. Scott would stay far away, forced to deal with his own frayed emotions threatening to bubble over and he avoided his pack the rest of the week.

When Scott finally returned, tensions would be high and he could sense the strain it put on his pack, but no one ever tried to convince him to stay. They realized he left only for their own good.

After the first heat, when Scott walked back up to his room, he expected Deucalion to act coldly towards him, knowing he had been uncomfortable the entire time during the heat. Instead, he would never forget that when he opened the door Deucalion had been sitting by the desk, fingers tracing over brail, reading a book, but at Scott's scent, he had flinched so hard that it startled the boy. Trying to be kind had been pointless, if anything it had made their relationship worse. Scott had slumped and dropped down on his bed, turning away from Deucalion as the hope that he could ever be more than this died inside of him.

"Are you still in pain?" Scott almost thought he had imagined Deucalion asking that it had been said so softly. Scott bit his bottom lip and squeezed his eyes shut. He told the truth.

"I'm always in pain."

"I—" If Deucalion had been trying to apologize, Scott was glad he didn't. He shouldn't be sorry, Scott deserved this. "_Thank you_."

This time when Deucalion said those words, he sounded like he meant it. His voice was hoarse with honesty and it touched something deep inside Scott's chest. He stayed with his back to Deucalion but it was a close thing, in that moment he desperately wanted to connect. Instead he imagined Allison's hand holding his and he clenched his fists until the skin turned white.

"I wished I could have done more," he admitted, his voice just as broken.

Silence, and then, "You did enough."

It was tough and brutal on him, but system worked and Scott eventually grew accustomed to it.

He had the pack integrate into the city. Most of them getting jobs, not for the money, but to alleviate the boredom of staying so long in one place. Kali was the only one that refused, but Scott didn't argue as she always seemed to be busy anyways. He found a local veterinary's office short on staff and offered to help. Animals would always shy away from him, but were never aggressive and his coworkers praised his knowledge and patience, especially with dogs. His lab coat and supplies were kept at the office but he brought his notes home to go over and found comfort in the familiar data.

Around the house he noticed the twins' construction equipment piled up at the front door, hard hats hung from the coat hooks, and plans for the buildings they restored scattered across the kitchen table. The two seemed happy with the simple but hard labor.

Deucalion found employment at the city library and the books that covered the desk in their room he was translating to brail. His staff badge was always on their nightstand.

The twins and Kali didn't seem taken aback by his choice of service and Scott wondered if this was something from his old life, but it felt too personal to ask. Although one day when he came home, Scott found several of his favorite novels lying on his pillow. He was so caught off guard by the kind gesture he almost thought they were gifts from Derek until the older boy told him otherwise. Scott wanted to ask Deucalion why, but fear and self-doubt got the best of him and he remained silent. He brushed a hand across a copy of _Heart of Darkness_ and wondered not for the first time about his own shadows and what Deucalion was trying to tell him, but pushed it out of his mind.

Most surprising was when he found police files pinned up across the living room walls and discovered Derek had offered his skills to the police, posing as an expert tracker. Scott guessed it had more to do with Derek's deep need to solve things, like his family's murder for example, that drove this particular instinct rather than goodwill. But it didn't matter because they now had an insider within the police force and could keep an ear out for suspicious murders.

Scott didn't trust that they were fully safe, that nothing else would lurk in from the outside to attack his pack. If Beacon Hills had taught him anything, it was to pay attention to the crime and unsolved murders within a city. Part in paranoia, Scott had Derek use his position to look up cold case files. Hunter activity was low in their city, but he could never be sure about the supernatural world. Even after nothing turned up, Scott still had Derek keep checking for anything unnatural.

He and Deucalion...continued their troubled relationship. Where before, after Scott had first been able to transform, he had been hopeful that he could see the signs of change in Deucalion's behavior towards him, but now it was much less clear. It frustrated Scott that as he tried to control himself more Deucalion only appeared to retreat further from him, spending great lengths of time at the library or with the twins while at home—but maybe it was just because Scott had finally given him the option.

At the beginning of their stay, after the first heat, Deucalion had become more subdued and stopped challenging Scott all together. He didn't resist any of Scott's advances, stopped talking altogether. The boy had worried at first and backed off, trying to show Deucalion he didn't want to hurt him anymore, that he was trying _so_ hard. It only made the older man upset and he finally started rebuking Scott. It almost made him snap, pushed Scott so close to the edge and threatened the small bits of his reclaimed sanity that he tried to run. Deucalion blocked his path to the door.

"Stop this!" Scott clutched at his head as searing pain clawed at him. "Do you _want_ me to hurt you?"

"It's who you are," Deucalion replied, eyes a blood red behind his glasses. A part of Scott thought they looked desperate. "Not this false boy you pretend to be, the kindness you try to act out." It felt like he'd been slapped and Scott's throat tightened. His claws forced their way through the skin of his fingers and his fangs grew. "See? This is the real you, Alpha."

Scott didn't understand why Deucalion was doing this. Why now? He searched the man's face, wanting to find a clue—_any_ clue. "You think I can fake what happens during the heat? _Can you?_" he spat out and for just a moment, he saw doubt cross Deucalion's face. It disappeared in an instant and instead the man turned his head away and snarled in defiance, body braced for a fight. Scott lunged forward, his claws sunk deep into the wood of the door behind Deucalion as he pinned the man against it. Fire shot through his veins and burned his entire body and Scott realized he was trembling from the pain.

"_Attack me_." Deucalion tried to make it a command, but it sounded like a plea, and somehow Scott managed to figure out the answer in a haze of pain. He smiled instead, strained but genuine.

"You're testing me." His voice came out like a sob even through his grin. "You hate me that much?" Scott was a little awed that Deucalion would be stubborn enough risk his life, risk everything, because he refused to believe a person could change. But, if Scott's sin was wrath then Deucalion's was pride, he'd always known that.

"I—" But Scott had seen through the charade now and forced the darkness back, pulled himself back together from the brink and collapsed on the floor. Or tried to, but Deucalion grabbed his shoulders and caught him. Scott heard his heartbeat and could tell Deucalion was frustrated enough to make his breathing erratic. "This is just a _lie_. People do not change."

"I'm not a very good actor," Scott muttered against Deucalion's chest, the pain sapping all of his energy. "But if it feels better to hate me, that's ok. I'm the monster, remember? I just—I _want_ to stop hurting people. Even if people can't change, I can try." Deucalion slowly slid to the floor, taking Scott with him and they sat like that for hours. The pain eventually dulled to a distant throbbing and Scott let out a slow sigh of relief.

"There are many types of monsters out there."

Scott blinked and lifted his head. Deucalion was turned away from him but his body was limp, face defeated. "Do you believe me?" he asked. Deucalion's jaw clenched and Scott started to pull back until a hand caught his arm.

"I don't know what I believe anymore." Deucalion looked just as lost as Scott felt. "But I guess I still don't know what to think about you either."

"That makes two of us," Scott agreed and winced as his temper flared. Deucalion let go of his arm, but didn't try to move away. Scott didn't have the energy to hope for more, but he accepted things as they were.

That was their life for three years. Scott kept careful tabs on the world around them, doing research on all the wolf packs he could get information on, watching the ebb and flow of power, managing a job and his wolves, working around heats and arguments. It...well, it almost felt like having a family again and without Scott's notice, the darkness receded slightly in his mind: stabilizing his mentality and letting him relax.

Deucalion returned to a sort of normal behavior; not fully submitting to Scott but the resistance in him changed. Instead of anger in his eyes there was more of a challenge, a spark that grew brighter when Scott responded to it. Although most of their interactions remained the same, Scott noticed that more occasionally, especially during a heat, Deucalion would ask to be called _his_.

It was nice.

At least until he heard about the white wolf.

"It's a rumor," Kali was the first to tell Scott after he tracked down each pack member individually to question them. "He doesn't really exist."

"Talia spent time looking for him after she first transformed," Deucalion recalled, "but she never found anything."

"The white wolf is a story, Scott," Derek explained. "My mom told it to me and my sisters all the time. It's meant to champion the best attributes of a werewolf, but he's not real."

"According to legend," Ethan began, "he was the last true alpha—well, before you. He lived like a hundred years ago and his pack controlled all others in Western Europe. He could change into this huge white wolf at will, not the struggle you have to go through or the slow slide of transformation Talia did."

"Then," Aiden continued, "one day, he vanished. No one knows what happened to him. Some say he outlived his entire pack and grew tired of watching friends die. A few say hunters killed his pack. Others say he just got tired of the world."

"Regardless, he'd be dead by now."

Ethan shrugged and the two continued eating their lunch, but Scott was good at following patterns and looking for clues and certain rumors had popped up that perked his interest. There was another wolf out there like him. Another who could become a complete wolf...and a true alpha.

"Do true alphas live longer?" he asked Deucalion one afternoon. The man's fingers stilled over his book and he turned his head slightly in the direction of Scott.

"It's not well known," the older wolf responded. "But many agree that yes, they do. Your aging is slowed down to a fraction of a human's, and once you hit your prime, even as you grow older, your body won't show any signs."

"So he could technically still be alive?"

"If he even existed in the first place."

Scott didn't end his search, pouring over every hint and scrap of evidence he could find, becoming obsessed with the white wolf. He laughed a little when he realized that Stiles, after everything, had rubbed off on him. Scott stopped going to the veterinary office, stopped going out, occasionally stopped eating. As soon as he had some idea as to where this true alpha could be found, he and his pack would move out again. They'd stayed still for far too long.

His search continued for months, eating up all his free time. A positive effect, with all of his energy directed to study, his darkness became exhausted and Scott practically ignored Deucalion for the most part. He only spoke with him to ask questions or request updates on the pack. Far too late did he sense the tension from the older wolf.

"Why are you doing this, Sc—Alpha?"

Deucalion would slip sometimes, in calling Scott by his name now. Sometimes it amused Scott and other times it hurt as the darkness would lash out at hearing his name. Their relationship was unpredictable and turbulent, like the wind. The undercurrent of power that charged their emotions troubled Scott.

"What's the point?" Deucalion pressed, trying to get him to open up and bringing Scott back to the present.

It was night. Scott had spent the past two days gone, hunting for clues. He only returned home on the brink of collapse because he'd forgotten to eat and sleep. It was wearing on Deucalion and the rest of his pack. He lay in his bed, staring at the ceiling, still puzzling through data. Deucalion snarled at him and _that_ finally grabbed the young man's attention.

"It's not your problem, now drop it," Scott growled back. Deucalion flinched, but stayed strong.

"_Why_ is this so important to you?"

Scott stayed stubbornly quiet, not wanting to think on the answers too much himself. His reasons were private and maybe desperate. He didn't want to appear vulnerable in front of his pack, Deucalion especially, but the older man kept prodding, reaching out to touch Scott.

"Try to trust me." Words that pulled at Scott's chest, made him feel...cared for. Which couldn't be true, the darkness whispered. Deucalion didn't _care_ about him. His touch snapped Scott's careful control and his emotions burst out like vicious caged animals.

"_Because he's like me!_" Scott yelled, irrational anger building up within him. "He and I are the same. He could give me answers! I wouldn't be alone." He stumbled to his feet and shoved Deucalion, sending him staggering against the wall, eyes burning red as he tried to regain control. He hated himself. He sounded like such a child right now. The darkness pricked at his mind, slowly dragging across like barbed wire, berating him, feeding in to the self-loathing.

"Y-You're not alone." Deucalion's own eyes were wide, his glasses having been knocked off. "You have a pack, you're not alone."

Scott laughed bitterly and pulled away.

"I've always been singled out," he sighed, "ever since I became a wolf, pack or not. Stop fighting me on this."

"You're my alpha, I'm concerned." Deucalion tried to reach out and touch him again. The gesture was a lie, a false comfort. Even when Scott struggled to show a kindness Deucalion still barely tolerated him during a heat..._right?_ The darkness wrapped more securely around his mind and squeezed like a vice, reminding him of his failures. Even in the most recent heat Deucalion had told Scott to '_get it done_', he just used Scott as the boy used him. Scott wanted to scream and whirled around instead.

"I'm your _abuser_." His voice was steel. "I know what I am, don't pretend otherwise."

"He's not real, Alpha." Deucalion's eyes had dimmed and he no longer looked at Scott, but his face remained set.

"He _is_ real." Scott was determined. "I know it, he's like me. I have to find him. You wouldn't understand."

"I wouldn't understand?" And for once Deucalion looked furious, eyes becoming red and face thunderous. He clenched his fists to cover the tremble in his hands, voice cracking as he spoke. "I wouldn't understand hearing about a true alpha, someone different from his peers? Different like a demon wolf is? Someone who could understand being alone, separate from the rest, even with a pack? _I wouldn't understand!?_" He released a ragged breath and suddenly sagged against the wall. Deucalion didn't often reveal his own thoughts and feelings, especially about any time before coming to Beacon Hills, and talking about his personal reasons for traveling to find Scott in the first place blindsided the boy for a moment. The irony was not lost on Scott about how often they had mirroring arguments. But...something about his words pushed through the darkness and self-loathing.

Scott rushed forward and crashed against Deucalion,mouth finding his neck and biting hard, hand sliding down and brushing over his groin. The older man jerked in surprise, Scott not having touched him in months, and moaned as the boy started licking at his chest.

They tore off their clothes and Scott fucked the other alpha deep into the mattress, claws scraping against his side and teeth nipping at his neck. Deucalion whimpered at the attention, back arching against Scott's chest. The boy pressed their bodies together and slid his hands down the other's chest, generally never touching him this much. His hands came to rest at the older wolf's hips and he thrust in, bringing his mouth close to Deucalion's ear and whispering, "_Mine_."

The man underneath him screamed as he orgasmed, body shaking and muscles clenching, sending Scott over the edge as well.

He collapsed on top of Deucalion's back, heaving himself up a few seconds later to move over to his own bed. A hand caught his arm.

"Y-You're not alone," Deucalion panted, face still buried in the sheets. Scott finally remembered him saying those words long ago, when Scott first started fighting against his temper. "Please believe me, you're not alone." For one desperate second, Scott wanted to trust him, needed to believe that Deucalion—_someone_—really cared for him. But like a rope around his neck, the darkness pulled taunt and cut off his emotions, telling him the truth, as always. Of course he was alone.

.

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_A/N: Thank for all the hits! Glad you guys are enjoying the story. Reviews, as always, are greatly appreciated._


	5. Chapter 5

A week later Scott found the vital clue he was looking for. A week after that his pack left their city and was back on the road, this time with a car. Kali, Deucalion, and Derek took everything in stride, having expected this to happen eventually.

"We stayed there long enough, anyways." Kali shrugged. "It was getting boring."

The twins, on the other hand, did not take the news well. Of the entire pack they had taken the integration seriously and really involved themselves with the city and people. From what Scott understood, they'd made friends—or maybe even something more, according to Kali—they had their favorite spots to hang out, and had even started planning a life there. Which was stupid.

"It's was always a temporary measure," Scott had told them crossly. "I said so from the beginning. Don't blame me for getting too deeply invested in the people here. You shouldn't have."

"Well I'm sorry we're not like you and can just turn our feelings off," Aiden hissed.

"Couldn't we at least keep in contact with our friends here?" Ethan bargained, trying not to get as worked up as his brother.

"Of course not," Scott growled. "As soon as we go on the move again hunters will start to take notice, we're not going to leave any evidence for them. We leave everything behind in this city. _Everything_. Even our feelings."

So both of the twins were pissed at Scott and had become slightly unruly. Scott didn't let it bother him, far too invested in finding the white wolf to really care at the moment.

"I'm not going to say I believe he exists," Kali said in the car as they drove away from their old home, "but if he did, where does your research say he'd be?"

"Egypt," Scott answered, like it was the most obvious answer in the world. He pulled out several articles he'd printed. "There are a number of rumors about a white wolf appearing all over eastern and western Europe, although none in the Americas, so its safe to say he's never been there, but the most recent ones—like, in the past 20 years, are all focused in northern Africa." Kali didn't look impressed with all the paperwork shoved in her face. Scott withdrew a marker, biting the cap between his teeth, and circled several important paragraphs for her. "I've narrowed it down to Egypt. More than a dozen recorded sightings of a white wolf in the past ten years, all around dawn. It's become something of a symbol to people there. Usually a sign of hope...or a sign of death, people can't agree, but—"

"God, you're sounding like Stiles." Derek chuckled from the driver's seat.

"You would know," Scott quipped back and watched his pack mate's ears turn red.

"It could be him," Kali admitted, "or someone _thought_ they saw a white wolf once and then people just latched onto the idea. It could be an urban legend."

"Possibly, but it's the best link I have, so we need to check it out."

They made their way slowly south. Scott, though anxious, wasn't in any hurry to get there, not wanting to draw attention from any local hunters. It got harder and harder as the twins grew more agitated and started testing Scott's patience. It got to the point where even Deucalion was annoyed and began snapping at them. Scott's excitement at following the white wolf's trail had led to him being more lenient than usual, but they were pushing him too far and Scott warned Deucalion that he would snap soon if they didn't control themselves.

His breaking point came the day after they got to Greece, planning to take a boat from there to Egypt. The night before had been aggravating enough: he and Deucalion had engaged in another argument. It was becoming more of a frequent occurrence as Scott's obsession increased. Deucalion grew more worried and Scott grew more frustrated at the attention, added to the fact the twins were testing him and the argument had turned physical. It ended with Scott reminding Deucalion who was the submissive in the harshest way possible. The next morning the older wolf's neck was covered in vicious bite marks that were still healing, as a reminder to the rest of the pack who was alpha.

Aiden quickly walked over to Deucalion's side, but Scott growled at him. "_Don't_. It's part of his punishment." The older boy glared daggers at him but remained silent, which should have sent warning bells off in Scott but he wasn't paying attention, too focused on planning out the travel arrangements with Kali and Derek.

They sold the car and headed to the shipyard on foot, following the sloping hills to the coast. It was as they were just a few miles away that Aiden spoke up, away from human eyes.

"So that's just it?!" he yelled, fangs showing. "We disagree with you and that's what you'll do to us?"

Scott heaved a sigh, _not_ in the mood for this. "Yep. That's what I do," he deadpanned. "I'm the alpha, what I say goes. And let's not even pretend this is about Deucalion. This about us leaving your precious city and you not liking it and now you're throwing a goddamn hissy fit."

"Fuck you, it's not just about that!" Aiden made an aggressive move towards him. Scott didn't react but Deucalion did, reaching out and grabbing Aiden's arm.

"Drop it, _please_."

"No!" Aiden wrenched his arm away. "He's a kid and somehow he's the one in charge? He's a psychopath who doesn't know how to run a pack, chasing after a ghost that doesn't even exist!"

"_Aiden_," Ethan warned, though Scott noticed he didn't exactly disagree.

"Irrelevant, Aiden." Scott rolled his eyes. "Take out your frustrations here and now before we get a ship. Yell as loud as you want, I don't care."

"_And if I don't want to get on the ship?_" His beta's eyes turned dark red in challenge.

"You have to, I'm your alpha," Scott bit out and turned his back, done with everything and needing to get some space. Aiden could work out his rage on this field for all he cared, they still had time.

Far too late did Scott register that the threat was real, that Aiden was serious. It had never even occurred to Scott that a pack member would attack him and so he honestly wasn't prepared to feel claws rip into his arm and back as Aiden tried to snap at his neck to assert dominance. Fear and pure instinct kept that from happening as Scott's knees buckled and he hit the ground, rolling with his momentum and coming up a few feet away, shock then paralyzing his body.

The entire pack had frozen, no one quite believing what had happened and Scott felt something crack in his mind, like a dam breaking. His pack had attacked him. One of his own. A wolf sworn to protect him had struck while his back was turned...he—they...

He felt something rip in his chest—his heart?—and his mind splintered. Scott grabbed his forehead, screaming in pain as his transformation completely engulfed him. His mind was torn asunder at the betrayal and from there the darkness burst forth, swallowing all conscious thought and pushing the urge to kill to the forefront on Scott's mind. He thought he might have been crying, but that was impossible as claws ripped through his skin and his whole body convulsed as he shifted.

People were shouting around him, but Scott couldn't understand the words. His entire world narrowed to the wolf that attacked him. Aiden stood looking at Scott with something akin to horror, Ethan ran up and grabbed his arm, trying to pull him away, desperately close to crying. Scott struck out, becoming a blur of fur and sharp teeth. He tore at Ethan's leg, ripping at muscles and tossing the young man to the ground several feet away before turning to Aiden.

The other wolf ran to his twin but Scott didn't let him. His claws sunk into the older boy's side as his jaws came up and pierced flesh, blood spattering out. Aiden cried out as he fell to the ground and tried to fight back but Scott had the advantage and slashed at his chest and arms. Fear was rolling off his pack mate and Scott snarled in victory, striking out at the boy's neck. Another body collided with his and Scott rolled with the blow, jumping up a second later. Ethan was over his brother, trying to combine and Scott leapt up, jaws cracking bone and tearing at his shoulder. The twin fell like a rock and Aiden screamed something. Scott roared, throwing himself at the other boy, darkness churning in his mind demanding death.

Just as Scott had Aiden's neck in his mouth, teeth tore through skin, and the flavor of spice and electricity hit his tongue. Scott stopped short, reality returning to him to find Deucalion had placed his arm across Aiden's neck. Scott's teeth had sunken deep into his flesh, blood pouring freely and spilling across the ground. He would have to tear through the older wolf's arm to get to the traitor. Scott snarled, clamping down harder in warning.

"Don't do this," Deucalion begged. He had to be in terrible pain, but his face was blank. "Please, don't kill them." Scott felt his hackles rise, trying to convey with his eyes how ridiculous that idea was. _Aiden attacked him!_ He was betrayed. Deucalion lied, he _was_ alone.

"They're young and frustrated, he wasn't trying to kill y—" Scott bit down harder, his growl muffling a scream. Deucalion finally winced, voice cut off in pain. Aiden whimpered behind him, too scared to move. They were both terrified, Scott could smell and taste it. "They learned their lesson. You've proved your point. Please..." But Scott didn't want to hear anymore. Only death would satisfy him now.

The young alpha switched his gripped and pulled Deucalion's arm aside, spitting it out quickly before lunging back at Aiden, but Deucalion was quicker and threw himself again in Scott's path, this time blocking Aiden's neck with his own. Scott screamed at him, blood dripping from his fangs. Like he wouldn't tear through the older man to get what he wanted!

"Scott, don't do this," Deucalion begged again, Scott flinching at the use of his name, growling at the challenge. "Don't kill the one good thing I ever did during my darkness. It's the only thing I can say I did right, the only thing I'm not ashamed of from that period of my life. _Please_, don't kill them." Scott blinked, anger not abated, but considering. A hand touched his back and the young alpha whirled, surprised to find Derek kneeling next to him.

"It's your choice," the older boy whispered, keeping his hand on Scott. In a way, he understood what Deucalion was saying. If Scott thought about it, Derek was for him what the twins were for Deucalion. Derek held the last bits of Scott's humanity in him, whether he knew it or not. If Derek ever died...

The urge to kill intensified, clawing at Scott's mind. He pushed back, just wanting to think, but it persisted. He needed space. He wanted to be alone. He didn't need people, he didn't need a pack. Not if all they were going to do was betray him for the smallest of things. Scott stepped back, looking at Deucalion again, his body covering Aiden's as the young man cowered behind him, trying to stem the blood flowing from his chest and side. Although bright red with sight, Scott couldn't read Deucalion's eyes in that moment.

Scott ran. He ran as fast as he could, not particularly caring which direction, he just needed to get away. It was perhaps a good thing wolves couldn't cry.

He stopped somewhere in the middle of a meadow, rolling grassy hills surrounded him and pale, rocky ledges dotted the landscape. The sounds and smells of humans were gone. There was nothing out here and Scott dropped to the ground, the turmoil that had been building up in him for the past several years finally spilled out.

He lay curled up tightly on himself, staring at the cloudy sky for hours, watching the world slowly turn. Eventually night fell, the stars greeted him and then several hours later, the sun rose again. Scott still didn't move.

He didn't need a pack. It would be easier to search for the white wolf on his own. Hunters would never be able to track him. The others would get along fine without him, perhaps better. Scott didn't care, he _didn'_t.

A dull ache pulsated through the length of his back, reminding him of his injuries, and he twisted his head to look at the damage. The long claw marks were still there and blood matted his fur. The wounds had healed slowly. He just...he hadn't considered his own pack would attack him, at least not recently. How naive he'd been: that sense of family he thought he'd felt growing over the years had been false. They were a pack of alphas, of course one of his wolves would turn on him.

Scott pushed himself to his feet and made his way to the coast, the wind picked up and the temperature dropped with the windshield making the air crisp and biting. Large, intimidating steel ships came into view as Scott found the dock and hundreds of crates lined the concrete ground creating a patchwork of colors from a distance.

It would be easier to stow away in this form, Scott decided, he could just curl up in some small corner and wait for them to land in Egypt. It was simpler than transforming back human completely naked and dealing with that headache of skirting around trying to not be seen. Scott padded down to the harbor, ducking under barbed wire and dodging security guards. He sat where he had a clear vantage point of all the ships and calculated his best chance of getting on one. A small sound caught his ear and the alpha ducked low, growling.

"Scott?" It was Derek. Of course it was. Scott huffed and turned back around to the shipyard. The young man quickly made his way up to the alpha, reaching out to pet him. Scott snarled and the hand withdrew. "We—I was getting worried." He caught sight of Scott's back and winced, eyes dropping to stare at the ground. "That looks bad. C'mon we have to get you back, I can stitch that up." Scott ignored him and kept his eyes forward, still evaluating his chances for a ship. He struggled to keep his heart steady, to show no emotion. Derek finally realized that he wasn't paying attention and he followed his alpha's gaze. Scott heard as his breathing stuttered. "A-are you thinking about leaving? Without us?" Scott made himself not look up. "B-but we're pack." And now Scott growled at the words, baring his fangs at Derek.

_Pack wouldn't attack the alpha._

"Scott, they're sorry." Derek spoke of the twins. "You proved your status as the alpha, you punished them. They learned their lesson, it will _never_ happen again." Scott's ears twitched at the plea in Derek's voice. "Please. Let's just go back." This was too painful. Unable to listen to another word, Scott sprinted towards a random ship, hopeful that Derek would not follow. "You can't leave us!" Derek's voice cracked. Right, he had abandonment issues. Scott's body stopped against his will. "You promised me we were family!"

He _did_ make that promise. It seemed like a lifetime ago. Scott let out a long sigh, his whole body slumping. He didn't know what he was doing anymore. All he wanted was answers, about himself and this darkness that tainted and trapped him. He just wanted—needed to find this white wolf but now everything had fallen apart.

"_Scott?_" Derek had never asked anything of him since joining the pack. His only wish seemed to be to remain at Scott's side. His eyes burned and Scott shook his head, trying to clear away the thoughts in his mind. Hateful urges pushed to leave his pack behind, but his own grief and exhaustion overpowered it. To be fair, no one ever said being an alpha was easy. Scott looked one more time at the ships, tilted his head and met Derek's eyes, and realized he never could abandon his own—at least not with Derek looking at him like that. He turned around and started heading back to the city.

"Thank you," Derek said and Scott didn't like how grateful he sounded, he never liked when people thanked him, it almost never was deserved. He nipped at the Derek's fingers, surprised when the young man ran his hand over Scott's head, petting at the soft fur.

Derek lead him back to a warehouse off in an abandoned part of the city. They arrived just as night was falling, enough time for Scott's anger and resentment to come back full force. He took one look at the twins, lying in makeshift cots covered in bandages—and noticed everyone flinch in terror as he entered—before swiftly turning away for a separate room. His body ached and a hunger to kill pricked at his mind, claws and teeth itching to tear. Scott couldn't be around his pack at the moment.

Deucalion pursued him, quietly walking behind the young alpha and kneeling at his feet, submission rolling off his body. Scott tried not to see how the older man's neck was bared, how his head was tilted down, the way his eyes refused to meet Scott's, or the slight tremor in his hands and shoulders. Seeing Deucalion displayed like that and the wrongness of it was like slap in Scott's face. He wanted to fight, to scream and cry until his chest didn't feel like it was going to burst anymore, but more than anything, Scott just wanted to be alone. Deucalion finally shifted under Scott's silence.

"I—" Scott growled abruptly. He didn't want words from him right now. He turned away, belatedly realizing his bite mark still graced Deucalion's arm but was almost completely healed. Scott's mind raced and he struggled to still his thoughts, picking out a memory from his jumbled mind got harder and harder every year. Like looking at a puzzle that kept having pieces removed each time you saw at it.

Scott finally glanced down at his arm, where his tattoo was in his human form. _An open wound_. Seemed appropriate given his life choices. He remembered the pain of getting it done again, Derek and Stiles holding him down, fire torching his flesh and the memory of Allison burned into his mind. He couldn't remember the details of her face anymore. Just her smile and scent, like flowers in the rain and metal from the knives she always carried.

He remembered the feeling of her hand holding his, squeezing tight and calming his anxiety and stress. His heartbeat slowed down and she smiled.

Scott looked down at his human hands, they were shaking still, but at least he wasn't crying. He just felt hollow, his chest empty and aching. "Go away," he spat to Deucalion, back still turned to him.

"Sc—Alpha, whatever you're feeling, you can take it out on me. You have that right," Deucalion murmured. The words seemed off and Scott studied the older man, again struck by the oddness of his submission. This wasn't real. Deucalion didn't submit to him willingly, didn't care about Scott's fucked up self. The darkness twisted itself around his mind, encouraging these thoughts.

"You don't need to pretend," Scott bit out. "I see perfectly where we stand now, you just needed to teach me a final lesson. I needed to see this, I—"

"I'm _yours_," Deucalion cut him off. He'd only said those words under duress before and given the situation, Scott knew the words were still a lie. This _wasn't_ Deucalion, he never talked like this. He did not submit so easily after years of resisting. "Punish me as you see fit, Alpha. I'm yours." It felt like a violent wind blew through his chest, the pain making him gasp. Scott felt cold and hot at the same time.

He turned and snarled, "No you're not! You're not mine! You _made_ your choice!" His rage caught up to him again. "You chose to side with the attacker! You made it clear. I thought you'd understand, you were attacked once by pack, but you chose him over me! You're not mine, you _never_ were, so don't pretend like you care." He wasn't going to cry. Scott ran a hand over his face and steeled himself.

"I'm sorry," Deucalion choked out, placing his hands on the ground and bowing his head even lower. It was all wrong to Scott, everything seemed so wrong. Deucalion didn't apologize to him, didn't truly accept him as a dominate, he do _not_ bow to Scott. Why now? It didn't make any sense. "You're not alone, I swear."

"Stop lying!" Scott yelled and finally struck out, punching the older man in the face. "I'm so fucking sick of it! You're not mine, _stop_ saying that! It's never been true before now, you taught me that. What test are you doing now? How have I failed this time? Tell me!" He was pacing, his head was killing him and Scott tried not to tear out his hair. Rage blotted out his vision, his temper boiling over. "_I'm done with you!_" Deucalion stayed silent, but his fear was clear, his body taunt with it. Scott figured it was a huge shame to be disowned by your alpha or some bullshit. It just proved he was doing this for himself, not Scott.

He broke. Scott finally released his pain and whirled away and strode towards the wall, tears burning at the edge of his eyes. He should have left, he should have ignored Derek and left. He didn't want to do this anymore.

"Sc—" Deucalion's red eyes widened and he flinched. He looked devastated, like something new had been shown to him and his entire world had changed because of it. Scott couldn't stand the way Deucalion's face was twisted in bitter regret; he had no right to look that way.

"Go," Scott said, voice cracking, "just go. Be with _your_ pack." Deucalion finally got up, but only to walk closer to Scott, dropping back to his knees when he was an arms reach away. His fingers trembled when he reached out, as if he were afraid to break Scott, and he looked so close to breaking as well, but _he had no right!_

"That darkness inside you," Deucalion whispered, "whatever you're holding back, just let it go and take it out on me. I promise, it'll help." But Scott was done with everything, he just wanted to be left alone and he kept crying. He should be lashing out, but his own misery felt like bricks. A person could only take so much. He had failed so completely it was a little breathtaking; he'd failed as a person, a son, a friend, even as an alpha. There was nothing left in him that could keep going, nothing left to fight for.

Something brushed across his forehead and drew Scott back, making him look up. Deucalion had reached over and kissed him softly, a hand cupping the back of his head, the gesture so intimate it hurt Scott's entire body. He cracked and came undone, splinters of pain burst forth and Scott threw Deucalion back, screaming in rage. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he realized Deucalion must have done that on purpose, but the shadows in him didn't care and the urge to destroy was overwhelming. All his frustration and fury over the past few days came bubbling forth. Scott did as Deucalion suggested and took all of it out on him.

It wasn't even sexual, though Scott was completely naked. He simply lashed out, breaking bone and skin and Deucalion offered no resistance, not even trying to block. It felt endless, but maybe that was just the anger talking. He couldn't stop, but a part of him grew more upset that Deucalion wasn't fighting back.

Scott promised himself he wouldn't break the other man, so far it was one of the few promises he had managed to keep. The boy forcefully stopped his body from moving, the wrath sated and dissipating in his mind. He came back to himself, aware that Deucalion was underneath him, breath sounding ragged and pained, but alive. Scott was also aware of someone crying from outside the room, another voice. It was Aiden and Scott realized the rest of the pack could hear what was happening, the walls weren't that thick.

"He's just upset." Deucalion coughed, his face a bloody mess. Bones moved under his skin as he healed, teeth regrew. Scott figured Aiden thought Deucalion was suffering for his transgression, and he wasn't too far off. "You don't have to stop," Deucalion continued. He tried to sit up but neither of his arms could support him at the moment. "Whatever you need to do, I'm here."

The way he said it troubled Scott. The fact that he was saying things like this at all confused him. He looked down at his own hands that were bruised from how hard he hit the other. Frustration welled up in his chest. He picked up Deucalion and threw him against the wall, grabbing his neck and tilting his head to the side. The older wolf whined, dropping his shoulders to show more of his neck. The faint scar of Scott's first bite still showed, reminding him of his brutal savagery from those first few months. It was an ugly souvenir and the young alpha scrapped a claw over it experimentally.

"No, don't—" Deucalion began and cut himself off quickly. His eyes dulled to a pale blue and Scott knew he was trying to cover up all his emotions. Whatever Scott had almost done was probably the beginning of disowning a pack member. He snarled at the older wolf who only tilted his head more, submitting as much as he could. Scott realized he wasn't going to get a fight from the other today. He ran a nail over the bite again.

"_Wait_." It came out a command but Deucalion's eyes flashed in desperation.

"Why is this so important?" Scott demanded. Deucalion should love not being his anymore. Should love not having to submit and be humiliated by his alpha, should hate Scott as much as the twins do. This didn't make any sense: why was Deucalion fighting him so much on this?

"Because I _need_ to be yours," the man admitted, voice tight. "I need to stay with you. You think you're alone but you're not." As he said it, Deucalion seemed to be realizing that the words were true and his voice grew steadier. Scott's chest twisted in pain again and he gritted his teeth. It wasn't true, it couldn't be. Deucalion didn't care about him, he _hated_ Scott—_right?_

Scott snarled and turned the other around, his body reacting without any conscious thought. Deucalion's legs were still healing and shook as they tried to support his own weight. Scott stuck a knee forward to support him and bit at the offered neck at last making Deucalion sob in relief. He worked on instinct, pulling at his jeans and shoving a finger inside Deucalion, trying to open him up. The man made a pained noise but didn't struggle against Scott, and the boy twisted his finger and cried out in anger. Too dry, he didn't have anything here to prepare the other and he couldn't—he didn't want to hurt—_god he just_—_too much_—everything _hurt_ too much—

Scott collapsed against Deucalion's back and started weeping openly.

Deucalion turned around, leaning heavily against the wall, and Scott found himself in the other's arms. Like a child, he latched on and poured everything out, face buried in the older man's neck. He couldn't remember the last time he had been hugged and it just made everything more painful. He was tired of being in pain, he was tired of hurting people around him, he was tired of...fighting for the love and approval he was never going to get.

"—my fault." Scott realized Deucalion had been speaking to him, or maybe had just been talking to try and relieve the stress. Scott clutched onto him harder and tried to take deep breaths.

"Wh-what's wrong with me?" he asked. If someone could just tell him, perhaps he wouldn't feel so lost. Scott just wanted someone to understand him.

"I—I have no answer," Deucalion replied honestly, his voice tinged with regret. Scott cringed, as if a bucket of ice water had been dumped on him and he wrenched himself away, stumbling back. "What—"

Scott bit his lip and looked away, he wished people would stop lying to him. He angrily wiped at his face and met Deucalion's eyes. The answer wasn't here and it wasn't with him.

"You can't help me."

Deucalion recoiled. He struggled to stay upright, body still healing. Scott's eyes dropped to the ground, at the broken glass by his feet where his reflection stared back at him. He watched as his eyes became bleak and dull until nothing but a shell of a person stared back at him. "The only one who can—who _will_ understand me, is the white wolf."

"No, that's not true." Deucalion voice caught in the back of his throat and he tried to reach out. "Let me try, I can make up for my mistakes." It didn't make any sense to Scott still, where this change came from. The more Deucalion spoke the heavier his shoulders got. He released a long breath suddenly, the tail end coming out in a self-deprecating laugh—or maybe a sob. "I'm so sorry, Scott."

Scott frowned, the realization that swept through Deucalion's face seemed out of place. He shook his head, too empty inside to try and figure out what the man was feeling. "I am alone, Deucalion," he reiterated, "and no one here can help me. You don't need to bother anymore."

"_Yes, I do_." Deucalion's voice burned with conviction and a flicker of an emotion stirred within Scott. "Now more than ever because—" He cut himself off, afraid of what he was about to say. "You're important, I see that now. You're my alpha, you'll never walk alone."

"I—" Scott _wanted_ to believe. The darkness slid back out, filling the crevices of him mind, smothering the spark of hope that had tried to start. He turned around and made for the door.

"No, wait." Deucalion tried to follow but couldn't even manage to lift himself from the wall, instead collapsing further. "Please don't..."

"I'm not leaving," Scott explained shortly and burst out of the side room, back to the main area with the pack. They all jumped at his presence and the young alpha stalked over to Kali, who was guarding the group's supplies and where his backpack and extra clothes were.

"Scott, your back is still—" Scott had forgotten about the slashes on his arm and back, but nothing really mattered at the moment.

"They'll heal." He cut off Derek as he got dressed. He moved and laid down behind Kali, who was honestly the only one he felt he could trust right now as she just didn't care about anything. "Don't let the others come near me," he ordered and she gave a curt nod, understanding instantly. Scott didn't give a smile, but he nodded nonetheless and fell to the floor in exhaustion.


	6. Chapter 6

The next day wasn't any easier. The pack's emotions were everywhere and Scott, as the alpha, could unfortunately feel every one of them and it strained his already stressed mind. Of all his wolves Derek's behavior was the most erratic, his sole focus on Scott. He paced constantly, tension clear in his tight steps, his scent radiated worry and a desire to comfort. Derek would occasionally try to walk up to Scott only for Kali to snarl at him, nails clicking out dangerously and daring him to come closer. Scott curled tighter in on himself from where he lay, confusion sweeping through him as a part of him wished for console, but another part dreaded being touched.

Similarly, Deucalion's concern for Scott was evident, but he was still recovering from his own injuries, and instead fixed the younger alpha with a calculating gaze that frightened Scott more than he cared to admit. Deucalion's words last night had hit him hard, made him want to hope again, but after years of listening to the older man reject and hate him, Scott just couldn't accept that he suddenly changed. Overpowering his worry though, Scott felt Deucalion's anger and hurt directed at Aiden for the betrayal. The older boy hadn't spoken a word to anyone since the fight, but his fear was obvious, especially around Scott, as was Ethan's.

Kali—oddly—was the only anchor Scott had at the moment, a pillar of calm and stability.

Eventually he couldn't take the strained silence any longer and sat up, pocketing the wolfsbane bullet he always carried with him. The pack tensed at his movement.

"How much longer?" Scott asked Kali. The woman tilted her head as she considered the wolves in front of them, eyes sharp.

"He'll be fine in a few hours." She spoke of Deucalion. "They'll take another two days at most."

"Ok." Scott stood up and nodded to her, muscles taut with tension and heartbeat loud in his ears. Kali's gaze shifted to him, noticed his reaction, and nodded back in understanding. Scott wanted to thank her—a part of him wanted to stay, but his instincts demanded he run, flee the uncomfortable situation and let the storm pass. Such a coward. Scott clenched his fists and turned to the door, planning to run out.

"Scott—what, wait!" Derek called out after him and started in pursuit. Scott sprinted faster, covering his scent. He just needed to be alone for awhile, away from the weight of his pack. Derek didn't let up and Scott ran as quickly as his human legs would allow.

Eventually he lost the older boy in the city amongst the winding buildings and clutter of people. Scott wandered aimlessly, climbing high up, traveling by rooftop alone. It was more peaceful, away from others, the smells and sounds distant.

His mind was still in turmoil, body confused as to what it wanted and Scott wondered how it all fell apart so quickly, or if the change had been gradual and he just hadn't noticed. The white wolf was important to him, more important than all the slaughter he had committed over the years. Should he have embarked on this quest alone to start with? Uprooting his pack, while all part of the plan, did seem against instinct. A pack was supposed to settle and make a den, only roaming if in times of danger. Perhaps he should still leave, those who wanted to follow could—no. Something pulled inside of Scott. It was against their nature. An alpha was a leader, but an alpha needed a pack.

The darkness crawled inside and told him to continue what he'd started back at the warehouse. Show his dominance and assert that his way was the _only_ way. If the twins argued, he could always maul them again. Scott clutched at his head, pain blooming within his skull. There had to be another way. A part of him was tired of the brutality. The darkness scratched at it, but Scott persisted. He just needed time to think.

The boy—man at this point—he was twenty-one for God's sake—finally stopped, perched upon one of the highest buildings and sat down. Instead of looking at the sky, he gazed down at the city, watching life stream by in the form of cars and people. They looked like ants, so tiny while he was far away, removed from it all. They were each an individual with a life as rich and complex as his own.

Around nightfall, a desperate and worried howl sounded in the distance. It was Deucalion. Scott was a bit surprised, thinking Derek would have been the one to keep searching. He debated on whether to howl back. After another cry, this time much closer to panic, he realized the older wolf just wanted to make sure Scott hadn't actually left them behind in the city. The young man answered back with his own bay, one of acknowledgement and reassurance, though with an icy undertone to not bother him again.

From that point until morning Scott did nothing but watch the city through the senses of a wolf. It was strange. He'd never thought to do it before, seeing the world in a different light, it gave him an odd sense of peace.

He spent the next two days wandering aimlessly throughout the city, staying to the shadows and making his way further out to the coast and walking along the rocky ledges as the scent of sea spray clouded all his senses. Unable to hear or smell anything else around him made Scott almost feel human again but as the sun rose on the second day he knew it was time to return to reality and deal with the consequences of his actions.

Scott took his time returning to the warehouse. Most of his anger was still there, but he had it under control, the dark urges suppressed. A large part of him was simply tired. Ever since he'd started his search for the white wolf, he'd been growing tired, like he was losing a part of himself, maybe the last of himself, but Scott didn't know, didn't care to know.

"Alpha!" Scott looked up to see Kali waiting for him outside, although far enough away that other wolves wouldn't be able to overhear.

"You don't seem surprised," he said and she chuckled, flipping her hair over her shoulder.

"I'm not insecure like those boys." Kali rolled her eyes. "Slapped Derek when he got from chasing you."

"Wh-what?" Scott's eyebrows flew up.

"He was being _stupid_. I asked him if he wanted you to have another fit and transform. I know you're the alpha and all, but you shouldn't have to baby the pack and be there every second to hold our hands."

"Thank you," Scott said and meant every word.

The woman gave a shrug. "No one ever said being an alpha was easy. I thought the Hale boy would have understood that best of all."

"How is it in there?" He tilted his head to the rundown building behind her.

"Tense," Kali answered. "The twins are well enough to travel, although Aiden's pretty messed up right now, but at least docile. I still don't know what was going on in his head when he attacked you, I'm not even sure he does. They've kept close together while you were gone, scared of the rest of us. Derek won't even acknowledge them and Deucalion...well, you didn't see him when we first made camp here. Derek went out to search for you after I got the medical equipment and as I was patching them up when he just broke down."

"Deucalion?" Scott didn't quite believe it. "Are you sure it was about me? Maybe he was just worried about the twins?" It still didn't sound right, but it was the only thought he could grasp at. Kali snorted.

"You're the only one that gets under his skin like that. I've traveled with Deucalion for a long time and known him a bit longer. No one's ever managed to fuck with him the way you do." Scott's heart thudded painfully in his chest and he was forced to look away, teeth clenched. "It's all fair, Alpha." Kali shrugged. "He's fucked with your life too. You just—" Kali seemed to be trying to organize her words carefully "—he's always held this justification before, that while the rest of us attacked our pack solely for power, he did it out of self-preservation by being attacked first. In his mind he had the moral high ground and that put him above the rest of us, but then you come along and now he's the betrayer. He went against his alpha, protected someone like Marco and for what?"

Scott frowned, still looking at the ground. "I've seen betas go against their alpha before; I'm one of them. Never caused me to break down."

"You have to understand, he considers himself _yours_ and there's a certain pride in belonging to a powerful alpha—doesn't matter how you treat him personally—and to go against all of that and choose someone else over your alpha is, well, pretty serious. On top of that he lost all that righteousness he had before, anything that he could hold over you or against you is all gone. You _should_ have disowned him as soon as you got back, it's what he was expecting. He knew this would cost him everything he had left. Of course he broke down."

"Ah," Scott said. It made Deucalion's actions a bit clearer from the night before, but not completely. Still didn't explain his abrupt change in attitude and sudden care for Scott. A thought occurred to him then. "But I didn't, or I don't think I disowned him."

"You did the opposite, Alpha." Kali looked a cross between exasperated and amused. "You actually restaked your claim on him. I couldn't believe it, neither did he, come to think of it. When he stumbled back out after you had fallen asleep...he looked—amazed? But also disconcerted. His face was priceless, I'll tell you that much. Not sure exactly what happened between you two in there."

"You and me both." Scott sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"Well, something changed in him," Kali unknowingly confirmed for Scott.

"Kali?" He needed to hear a straight answer. "Do you think I should leave? Just...leave for Egypt and finish this on my own instead of dragging the pack around with me."

"I—" She looked torn, perhaps aware that her opinion mattered and could sway his decision. "A pack follows their alpha, Scott." He blinked at her using his name. "It's just that simple."

"I wish." Scott sighed.

"They'll follow," she insisted. "I know the Hale boy would follow you regardless. Besides," and a glint came to Kali's eyes, "I want to see what's at the end of the rabbit hole."

"What?" Scott frowned.

"This hunt you're on. White wolf, white rabbit—same thing really."

"Huh." Scott had never thought of it that way. "I guess he is my white rabbit. Does that make me Alice?"

"You are very pretty." And it had been such a long time since Scott had laughed that it felt weird, almost painful, but he didn't care. The laugh must have been loud enough to catch the rest of the pack's attention as the door to the warehouse opened and Derek came out, rushing over when he saw Scott.

"You're back." He moved a touch Scott and Kali blocked his path, growling. Derek pulled back, confused and hurt.

"I'm still under orders not to let others come close."

Scott rolled his eyes. "Thanks for the dedication, I think we're good now." She smiled to reveal two rows of sharp teeth and moved back. Scott let Derek touch his arm, his beta grasping it tight.

"I'm sorry for not giving you space."

"You were worried. It's in your nature," Scott answered, bumping shoulders gently as he passed him. Derek whined at the contact and pulled them closer together, burying his head in Scott's neck. The young man tensed, but he knew the other wolf was just scenting him. He wrapped his arms around Derek's shoulder, fingers brushing against the nape of his neck and curling into his hair. "Are we ready to leave?" he asked, pulling away and walking through towards the doors.

Both twins startled badly at Scott's voice, jumping at the sight of him, scents spiking in terror as they pressed closer to each other. Ethan had let out a small yelp at Scott's entrance, arm whipping out and latching onto Aiden's as small tremors ran through his body. He was the only one that still had bandages on, wrapped securely around his neck and shoulder. Aiden's face was twisted in fear, going pale, and his eyes never left Scott as he watched to see what his alpha would do.

Scott figured he should deal with part of the issue now and strode up to the two, both wolves flinching as he drew closer. Out of the corner of his eye, Scott saw Deucalion stiffen and hold himself back from going over. Neither of the twins met his eyes when he stopped in front of them, although Aiden placed his body between Scott and Ethan's.

"Next time you attack me," Scott warned, "I will kill your brother and make you watch." Aiden's eyes widened and their scents spiked further in panic. Scott belatedly realized that both their heads were lowered and necks exposed, which they had never done before. "Do we understand each other?"

"Y-Yes." Aiden nodded. "I'm sorry, Alpha. I'm so sorry. Th-thank you for not killing us—my brother."

"You owe that to Deucalion, not me," Scott replied shortly and turned back around. "C'mon, we're moving out." The twins hastened to follow only to stop as Scott halted suddenly, remembering his original mistake. "Oh, and I'm sorry for uprooting the pack, Aiden. I know it's against instinct."

"I—" The older boy looked wrecked and Scott left him standing there before walking up to their supplies and grabbing his bag. He felt more than saw Deucalion come up next to him and Scott repressed a sigh. Too much had happened between them and the air turned suffocating as the other drew closer. Deucalion's glasses were on so the younger alpha couldn't read his face, but his scent was an odd mixture of nerves and longing. Scott couldn't think of anything to say.

"Deucalion," he greeted, trying for nonchalance.

"Alpha," the man replied, voice sliding over the title in a way that made Scott's stomach knot up. Deucalion didn't touch him, but his shoulders were loose, head tilted slightly to show his neck. His body language told Scott everything; declaring that he posed no threat and showed humble submission. It raked across Scott's mind and his fangs pushed out, wanting to claim.

He spun around instead. "Are you healed?" Scott asked with his back to Deucalion, forcing his heartbeat to steady.

"Yes, of course." Deucalion stepped up next to Scott, face a blank slate while he wore his glasses, eyes unreadable. The only tell to his nervousness was the slight tensing in his jaw. "You...the other day when—"

"Listen," Scott huffed, afraid of a tender moment, "you're still mine, is this a problem?"

"No." The response was muted, but there was a warmth in Deucalion's voice Scott had never heard before. He looked over to the other man, wishing he could see his eyes, and shook his head as a wave of pain washed over him. His temper tried to flare but Scott tamped it down instantly.

"I-I'm sorry about the other night," he said and reached up to brush his fingers across Deucalion's face. The older man startled but leaned into the touch a moment later.

"I did, technically, ask for it."

"Doesn't make it better." Scott dropped his hand, eyes falling to stare at the ground and he hiked up his bag on his shoulder and started to walk away.

"Sc—Alpha." Scott got the impression that Deucalion would try to continue their previous conversation and he decided to cut it off.

"—anything else can wait until we get on a ship."

It ended up being fairly easy to obtain passage on a ship, all they needed was money. Five hours later Scott and his pack were finally making their way to Egypt and the white wolf. It helped that nobody tried to attack him this time. Each tiny room only had two bunks, so Kali and Derek were forced to share, which Scott found hilarious. Neither interacted with the other much outside of necessity as Derek deeply mistrusted her for the help in killing his pack. When they did have conversations it was a very antagonistic dialogue charged with heavy sarcasm. Generally Scott would be worried about the two of them sharing such close quarters but Kali got easily seasick, curling up in her top bunk, basically dead to the world.

Derek sighed. "At least we won't kill each other."

Scott had planned on sleeping most of the voyage as well, still exhausted from the past week's events, but his own issues cropped up. As soon as they were alone Deucalion sat on the bottom bunk and removed his glasses, glazed blue eyes staring at the floor, and Scott knew he couldn't put off talking anymore. His shoulders thudded against the wall as he fell back and slowly slid to the ground, arms going around his knees. Scott curled in on himself as Deucalion's scent kept shifting from desire to worry. He noted the older man's heartbeat was steady, but there was a slight tremble in his fingers.

"Gonna try to fix me?" Scott muttered at last. Deucalion gave a dry chuckle that held no humor.

"I wish it were that easy."

Scott's fingers dug into the denim of his jeans. The room was silent save for their quiet breathing and the occasional flicker of the dim lights. The moment stretched on until something shifted in the air and when Scott glanced over to Deucalion he noticed the man's eyes were a bright red, focused intently on him. It felt like a challenge and a growl started to rise in Scott's chest, the back of his neck tingling at the heated gaze.

"Wh-what?" He tried making his voice steady. Deucalion seemed to snap himself out of a haze and looked away quickly.

"Apologies, I just—" he paused, struggling with the words. "Everything looks different."

Scott narrowed his eyes. "You mean _me_." Deucalion had only been looking at one thing just now. "_I_ look different." He shook his head. "It's just your imagination, I'm still the same."

"From your point of view," Deucalion admitted. "From mine...things have changed." Scott wanted to ask how, but realized he should just get to the heart of the matter. He shoved a hand through his hair, messing it up even further.

"What happened the other night?" he finally asked. "From my point of view, you're the one who changed." Deucalion released a long breath, his eyes dimmed back to milky blue as if he couldn't do this with his sight.

"I guess I did." Scott looked up sharply. "And to you, it may have seemed sudden, but...it wasn't." Deucalion's voice caught and his face twisted in pain. "I was just too proud to see your pain." Scott realized he had stopped breathing and made himself exhale.

"And now?"

"I'm forcing myself to see you differently." Deucalion stood up and Scott hastened to follow suit, uncomfortable being under the other. "And—I'm coming to terms with what I feel." Where did Deucalion find the strength to admit this? Scott couldn't even acknowledge how he felt in his own mind.

"So what do you see now?" Scott asked instead. The older man walked closer, until he was directly in front of Scott. He slowly sank to his knees. "Uh—"

"I see my alpha," Deucalion replied gently, his voice almost drowned out by the sound of Scott's heart pounding. Deucalion's scent shifted to complete desire as he started to undo Scott's jeans with an intense fixation. They hadn't had sex in a while, had they? He'd became obsessed with the white wolf and the two of them spent the nights arguing instead. This was also the first time, outside of a heat, that Deucalion has ever desired Scott on his own.

"You don't have to..." Scott said wincing as the darkness lashed against his mind, upset he was turning down a submissive. Deucalion freed his hardening erection and pressed close to Scott, inhaling his scent. He took a moment to collect himself before he looked up at Scott.

"Consider this an exercise in control and trust," he said and carefully licked Scott, sliding his mouth around his cock before taking it in. The sight of Deucalion on his knees eased something deep in Scott's chest, a primal feeling of possession that calmed a restlessness that had been scratching inside him. Scott released a long breath, letting the feeling settle over him. Deucalion pulled back, panting. "I trust you to control yourself. Let me..._help_ you."

"I—" Scott blinked, overwhelmed for a moment at what Deucalion was giving him. So long they had been at odds, fighting and snapping at each other, incapable of trust from past experiences. For years Scott had suffered being alone trapped within himself, and perhaps Deucalion had as well and now they were here at this moment, where everything could change. Scott forgot to breath, lungs burning, and he was powerless to do anything but stare.

"You're sure?" he eventually asked, finding his voice at last. "If I slip, I don't want to hurt you."

Deucalion growled, burying his head against Scott's thigh in frustration. The pitch of his voice and the way Deucalion's eyes were diverted informed Scott that the irritation wasn't directed at him. "I know it's hard for you to give me your trust, especially after what I did to you." Deucalion's voice cracked. "And maybe a small part of me doesn't care if I get hurt; I betrayed my alpha, after all."

"_No_." Scott's voice deepened, eyes sharpened as he put steel behind the word. There would be no more lashing out. What was it Ms. Morell had said? _If you're going through hell, keep going._ "I can do this." He placed his hands on Deucalion's shoulders but made sure his claws didn't snap out. This time when Deucalion growled it was laced deeply with desire.

"I believe you," he murmured before he engulfed the younger alpha again, a desperate low whine in his throat that Scott felt the echo through his cock. His stomach coiled and he slammed his head back against the metal wall, fingers moving to run through the other's coarse bronze hair. Deucalion hummed and Scott's back arched. The older man's hands trailed up Scott's thighs to his hips, gripping tight and tilting his neck to slide more of Scott into his mouth.

"_Nngh_." Scott wasn't even sure how Deucalion was breathing.

_Dominate_. _Take him and—_

_No_. Scott shook his head, trying to throw off the terrible thoughts.

This moment was so perfect he couldn't let anything taint it. Deucalion's tongue seemed to find every nerve that made Scott moan and his toes curl. He doubled over to lean against Deucalion's back.

Being wrapped so tightly in heat was bliss. A deep growl from Deucalion had Scott biting his lip to keep from coming. Using his human nails, he scratched up the man's back, causing Deucalion to buck and swallow more until he had completely surrounded him.

"_Oh god_." Scott wasn't sure how he managed to talk. He felt like he was standing on the edge of a cliff, about to plummet off into the abyss and he could barely hold himself up. Deucalion pressed his tongue against Scott's length and pulled back, dragging wet heat across sensitive nerves and Scott thought he was falling. He pushed away, sliding back down the wall until he was level with Deucalion, determined not to orgasm so quickly. Deucalion whined at the lost, though he was out of breath. He nudged Scott's legs apart and settled between them, lowering his head again. "Wait." Scott panted and gripped his shoulders, halting further movement. "Trust and control, right?"

"Yes?" Deucalion's voice was hoarse, a husky gravel that sent a shiver up Scott's spine. His hand had a life of its own and palmed at the hardness pressing against Deucalion's jeans. The older man jerked in surprise, body going tense, but that melted after a minute with a low groan.

"Trust..." Scott pondered what he wanted, which was difficult in the haze of lust, but an idea formed in his mind. "Ok, can you take off your clothes? I want you to ride me."

"I—" Shock would be an understatement as Deucalion's jaw went slack and his eyes widened. The look was fleeting as Scott's hand twisted smoothly and Deucalion's face reverted back to pleasure. "Of course." He leaned away from Scott as he removed his clothes, but the young man didn't miss the shudder than ran through his entire body or how his scent spiked sharply in excitement.

Scott reached over to his discarded bag and withdrew some of the lube he still had, jumping when Deucalion straddled him carefully, bare thighs resting against Scott's clothed ones. There was hesitation in Scott's fingers and a small stutter in Deucalion's heartbeat, but neither let that discourage them from pushing forward. Scott coated his fingers with the slick oil and moved to Deucalion's entrance as the man lifted himself up, cutting off a whine as Scott swiped a finger teasingly. His breath was hot against Scott's neck as he made small noises of pleasure, arms coming to rest against the wall to stabilize himself.

"You want this?" This question slipped from Scott, but for once he was glad it did. Deucalion froze and their eyes met. The fear in them eased and he gave Scott a quick nod, thrusting his hips forward. It was all the invitation the young man needed. He slid two fingers inside without another warning and Deucalion gave a pleased gasp, shoving himself down further on Scott's hand.

Scott got the hint and scissored his fingers, twisting around and feeling for that slight bump in the flesh. Deucalion was growling above him, clearly hanging on by a thread. A thread that snapped when Scott brushed over his prostate and pushed hard.

"_More_." And Scott had to admire that even as a submissive, Deucalion was still demanding and authoritative. Always an alpha. A cold hand wrapped itself around Scott's heart and he clenched his teeth, trying to shake off the feeling. Not every part of him liked the hint of command in Deucalion's voice. His caged hate still lurked in the back of his mind, rabid like a wild dog.

"_Unngh, Sc—Alpha_." Deucalion pulled him back to the present, the constant pressure on his prostate had left the man a quivering mess above Scott. He hastily withdrew his fingers, pausing at the noise Deucalion made, like a knife had gone through his heart. "Sorr—"

"I didn't say _stop_." Deucalion was quick to cut him off.

Scott gave a weak smile and tried to disregard his remaining dread.

_Control_; he needed to master this.

Scott lined himself up with Deucalion's entrance and guided the man's hips close to him. Deucalion let himself be directed, body relaxed and trusting Scott's hands.

Deucalion slid down slowly, panting and licking his lips as Scott filled him. The younger alpha bit the inside of his own mouth to keep quiet. It _had_ been too long since they'd had actual sex, not just a frenzied claiming. He'd forgotten how tight Deucalion was and the perfect control he had over his muscles. When Scott was completely sheathed, Deucalion tensed his sphincter and pulled up, causing Scott to gasp at the sensation and buckled up against him, all previous worries forgotten. "_Shit_, where'd you learn that?"

"I've my ways," Deucalion grunted, voice strained with lust. He carefully placed his hands on Scott's shoulders, eyes meeting and seeking approval that Scott granted as his hands slid back around Deucalion's hips.

"_Mine,_" Scott whispered on instinct and Deucalion groaned, fangs elongating in his excitement as he threw himself down onto Scott. He kept up the fast pace, muscles working hard, coiled tight. Scott had never really noticed how cut the other man was, especially for his age. The younger alpha growled at the sight, his power making Deucalion's eyes glow. The older wolf whimpered.

Scott felt himself reaching his peak again and pulled Deucalion closer, teeth latching on to his neck and biting hard. Deucalion came with a rough cry, covering Scott's chest and shirt as he clenched around him, while the younger man came. They both gasped for breath, Deucalion's arms and thighs shaking in an attempt to keep himself from collapsing. Scott ran a hand down his spine, nails scratching lightly and with a rush of breath, Deucalion buckled and fell onto him. Scott caught him, stomach clenching tight.

"A-are you ok?" Scott really wished his voice would stop sounding so childish. He shifted his hips and Deucalion stirred. They were still both locked together.

"Just out of breath," the older man said and pulled back, lifting himself off Scott. It felt cold, like losing a part of himself but Scott stayed quiet and zipped his jeans back up. He stood up with Deucalion but the man wobbled dangerously and Scott leapt forward to catch him again, dragging the tired wolf over to the low bunk. "And now I feel old."

A laugh slipped out of Scott chest, surprising him "Hardly. When was the last time you ate or slept?" He shifted Deucalion so he was lying on the bed, Scott now hovering over him.

"I could ask you the same question," Deucalion said, tilting his head to the side, baring his neck. Deucalion's bronze hair stuck messily to his forehead, damp with sweat, and his red eyes shone with the afterglow of Scott's power. The muscular body lay stark in Scott's mind against the dim light with his bite mark clearly visible. The young alpha felt something stir in his chest; Deucalion was beautiful.

Scott quickly rolled off Deucalion without answering and started to climb to the top bunk. He paused halfway and looked back at the older man meeting his half-lidded eyes. Scott wanted to say something, but it didn't feel right. "Wake me when we're there," he said instead and continued to his bed. He flopped down and cursed himself.

.

* * *

.

They made it to Egypt without incident, but then came the hard part.

"You know Egypt is huge, right?" Kali remarked as they departed the ship.

"I've narrowed it down to a city," Scott threw back, "of the past ten sightings, six have been in Luxor as well as the two most recent claims."

Derek crossed his arms. "What's in Luxor?"

"The remains of the city of Thebes from ancient Egypt," Deucalion replied without hesitation. The whole pack turned to him in silence and the older alpha shrugged. "What? I've been there before."

"You what?" Scott threw up his hands. "And you didn't say anything _because?_"

"You wouldn't say what city we were going to, I've only been to Cairo and Luxor, I'm hardly an expert in Egyptian travel."

"When you were last in Luxor, did you sense anything?" Scott pressed excitedly. "Or feel the presence of another wolf? Any odd scents? Anything you can remember? It'll help narrow it down further."

"I—erm." Deucalion quickly put a hand up to forestall Scott's babbling. "I was ten when I went to Luxor."

Scott deflated. "Oh."

"I lived in South Africa for a time, during my childhood," Deucalion continued. "That's why I didn't say anything."

"You grew up in Africa?" Aiden looked up quickly, suddenly interested in the conversation. His eyes darted between Deucalion and Scott. "I always thought you were from England."

"I am. Or rather, I was born there and moved back in my early teens." Both twins opened their mouths, eager to ask the older wolf for more information, but Scott intervened.

"Do you ever remember hearing anything about a white wolf?"

"That's something I certainly would have told you, Alpha," Deucalion answered. "The only thing I remember about a wolf was the jackal, which signified Anubis who protected the dead in their journey to the afterlife. Turns out that the 'jackal' was actually a grey wolf and the distinctive black color Anubis is known for isn't from the grey wolf, but to represent the rotting flesh and the black soil of the Nile valley, thus symbolizing rebirth in death. The only other thing I can recall is that Anubis would perform the measurement of a person's heart after death, determining the worthiness of them to enter the realm of the dead."

Kali snorted and turned away from the pack. "Smartass."

"Just how much do you know about the supernatural world?" Derek asked, as he frowned in suspicion.

"You retained all that information then?" Scott quirked an eyebrow, noticing Deucalion had stiffened at Kali's disrespect and his fangs were bared.

"It—I found it interesting as a child."

"Might be part of why the white wolf chose Egypt to settle down," Scott mused. He tried to imagine Deucalion as a child learning about Anubis and studying grey wolves. "Cute." Scott felt Deucalion jerk, fangs disappearing in his surprise. Scott gave a soft grin and slid his hand over Deucalion's, fingers intertwining for a heartbeat before he moved away. "C'mon, we've got a ways to travel."

They had landed in the port of Alexandria, needing to travel quite a ways south for Luxor. Thankfully it was a simple matter of following the Nile River.

The fallout from Adian's attack was still felt by the entire pack and emotional recovery was slow. Scott couldn't spend a lot of time around the twins, not without snapping and sending them both running in terror. It wasn't even the darkness in him, just the sting of betrayal. The twins developed a new submissive behavior, which as Derek explained, was so the pack would no longer identify them as a threat. It worked in some respect, but Derek seemed the least likely to accept them as pack again constantly giving them his patent murder scowl. Kali, as usual, didn't care too much and treated them the same as before; in which she generally ignored them unless they were needed for a task.

It was apparent that Deucalion was torn up about it. He cared a great deal for both boys and had been willing to sacrifice everything to keep them alive, but treated the betrayal as personal as Scott did. His anger towards Adian didn't abate for several weeks, leaving the twin depressed and whining in apology. Derek and Kali explained it was because Deucalion was Scott's, any assault against his alpha was like an assault on himself and the twins had known that when Adian attacked. That they would attack their alpha, like Deucalion had been attacked once by his own beta, added salt to the wound.

Scott disregarded it until the issue became a problem. While Ethan fully recovered, Adian, though not as seriously injured, deteriorated in health. He didn't eat or sleep and Scott could easily see the signs of depression and guilt. Like he had discovered within his first few weeks of controlling the pack, the twins relied heavily on Deucalion and were useless without him. When Adian's health issues started to become serious, Scott marched over and confronted Deucalion himself.

"If you were willing to sacrifice your life to save them then go over there and make sure they don't die," he fumed and the older man was startled at his passion. "You don't have to forgive them right away, but don't let them think you hate them."

"But they—"

"You're disappointed in them and angry, _I know_," Scott continued, "but it's coming across like hate and kids shouldn't think their parents hate them." He turned on his heel and left.

Okay, maybe he'd made that personal, but whatever horrible life the twins had come from, they clearly looked up to Deucalion like a father and Scott knew a thing or two about rejection from fathers. He angrily pushed away his feelings. The past needed to stay there.

Deucalion seemed to consider his words and did eventually go over to the twins, both overly flustered, apologizing desperately as if this were their only chance. Scott could hear them clearly, even though they were several rooms down. Later when Deucalion came back to his room, the twins' scent all over him, he sat and didn't say anything for a long time.

"Judging from your smell, you let them touch you," Scott commented.

"They both…wanted a hug before I left." The older man paused. "How did you know?"

"Um, because their scent is covering—"

"I meant about their feelings." Deucalion's voice took an odd quality, quiet and unsure. "You were correct, they were convinced I despised them. They perceived _themselves_ as disowned."

"I mean, you were giving off a _strong_ vibe." Scott shrugged. "I've seen it several times before with kids and their parents. I—" He paused, memories of his past, private thoughts that he'd never shared before, welled up in his mind. Scott chanced a look up at Deucalion, face drawn tight in concern, thoughts still probably turned inwards towards the twins.

They were supposed to be working on trust, right?

Scott soldiered on. "Stiles went through this whole phase after his mom died and he somehow got it into his head that his father hated him because _he'd_ been there when she'd died. I—_shit_—I went through something similar after my dad left."

"You thought your father hated you?" Deucalion's face suddenly snapped up and Scott could feel Deucalion's eyes on him even if he couldn't see them. A sour taste rose in the back of Scott's throat and he looked away, wishing he couldn't remember the sound of his mother crying or the sight of his father walking out the door.

"That's what happens when your father says he's leaving and then never tries to keep in contact with you," he spat, not wishing to reveal more about himself and a part of his life he wanted to forget. "I figured the twins felt something similar."

"I'm not their father."

"They look up to you like that." Deucalion opened his mouth, but quickly closed it as his gaze dropped to the floor. His shoulders shifted, as if trying to adjust to a new weight upon them and he remained quiet the rest of the night.

The next day Scott noticed Adian looked much better, like he'd actually slept and surprisingly, the young man ate with the rest of the pack. As Adian's health improved, so did Ethan's mood. Scott had a problem with them, but he was still their alpha and as such had to look out for the pack's health.

They passed through cities slowly, wanting to avoid notice and appear like regular tourists. Two weeks passed before they made it to Luxor which was just long enough for Scott to notice another new development in the pack. Mainly, how his and Deucalion's relationship was changing, or rather, that it was actually becoming a relationship—or closer to what people expect a relationship to be. Scott fought hard to contain his anger and calm himself, while Deucalion tried to be more open around him. They began to have actual conversations like normal people.

And Deucalion finally started coming _to_ Scott for sex.

"You enjoy the book?" Deucalion asked one night after hearing Scott chuckle to himself.

"Yeah." Scott wiped at his eyes, looking at the clock and noticing he'd been reading for the past three hours. Deucalion had given him new books to read after he'd left his old collection at their house in Scotland. His favorite was a British novel called _Good Omens_. "End of the world apocalypse; it's like the same shit I had to deal with in Beacon Hills. Prophecies and monsters, like the world we live in now. The British humor makes it better."

"I thought you might enjoy it." Scott flushed, happy that Deucalion's eyes were currently a milky blue. A warm flicker of affection bubbled in his chest and he put the book down, still grinning.

"You know what's funny? It's your voice I hear when I read the book."

"Truly?" Deucalion sat up in his own bed, face turning towards Scott. "That is...interesting."

"I dunno about interesting, I've always liked your voice." Scott scratched the back of his head, starting to feel uncomfortable with everything he was sharing. He was still new to this; just sitting here and talking with Deucalion. "I—uh, it's late—"

"_Alpha_." Deucalion swung his legs over the side of his bed and sat opposite Scott, rubbing at his wrist, head tilted to the side, neck bared. Scott felt his heart rate jump as Deucalion's shifting scent hit him.

"You...you want—"

"_You_." Although Deucalion seemed to be fully embracing his submissive position, he could still be somewhat commanding. Scott's eyes traveled down his body and saw the man's erection pressing tightly against his slacks and he swallowed, his throat suddenly dry. This was new territory. Still, Scott had never backed down from a challenge before, and this was all he'd ever sought: someone who wanted him.

That was the first night he slept with Deucalion, sharing a bed and staying with him the entire time despite the urge to leave still lurking in his subconscious.

If Scott was being honest with himself, he wasn't quite sure how he felt about the new changes. He and Deucalion had really only ever had a sexual relationship and that had been fairly one-sided with Scott doing all the taking. He'd always known Deucalion had feelings for him, that much was obvious, but he assumed it was more pack-centric 'I am your submissive' type of thing than any real romantic sentiment. After what he put the older wolf through Scott found everything else hard to believe. If anything, Deucalion should hate him, not want to start something. It made Scott uncomfortable to think about and if he tried for too long a headache would blossom and drive everything away with the pain and shadows.

He wanted this—wanted Deucalion, but did he deserve it?

It was one of those days. Scott was in the middle of dealing with an excruciating migraine and he tried to distract himself by thumbing his wolfsbane bullet charm when Derek burst through the door. Deucalion was down at breakfast with the rest of the pack like usual, only Derek had been away the past few mornings, stalking for the white wolf at dawn. He bounded into the room, coated in dust from the city and a large grin plastered across his face. Scott threw a pillow at him for the interruption.

"No, you'll like this," the older boy assured.

Scott stilled. "Did you find him?"

"No." Derek's grin widened until it looked like his face might crack. "He found me."

"_What?_" Scott shot up from his bed, headache pushed to the side, and pocketed the bullet. "Did he say anything? I-I mean, he just came up to you? That doesn't make any sense—he's been keeping himself a secret for decades but he just came up to you?"

"I know, I was shocked too." Derek ran a hand through his hair. "At first I thought he was going to kill me or something cause, he was in his wolf form and all, but he just kinda twisted and became human, like _that—_" Derek snapped his fingers for emphases. "—and started talking to me."

"What did his wolf form look like?" Scott pressed, anxiety building in his chest.

"Like how he is always described." Derek shrugged. "As a white wolf, except he was huge, much larger than an average wolf, larger than even your form. Other than that, he looks exactly like a normal wolf."

"I see." Scott sighed. "Maybe he can explain why my form looks so different."

"I—I didn't mean like that," Derek stumbled over his words, "y-you look fine, Scott."

"Thanks, but no I don't." Scott put his hand up to forestall any further comments from his beta. He took a deep breath and steadied his heartbeat; happiness warred within him against his pragmatic mind and Scott's chest felt like it might burst from the emotion. "So what did he say?"

Derek sat on the bed, still pent up with energy from a successful hunt. Scott joined him, although he noticed his hands had started shaking and clenched them to make it stop. "He asked who I was, why I was looking for him. I guess since he and his pack are the only wolves that live in the entire country, he can always sense when strangers come. Said he's used to wolves being drawn to him and that he accepts all into his pack. I told him about our pack—"

"You stressed that I just wanted to talk, right?" Scott had made it abundantly clear to his pack that they were _not_ going to recruit the white wolf. Maybe he'd held that delusion at one point, but that's all it had been. Most of all, Scott just wanted information.

"Yeah, I told him that you had questions about your transformation and just wanted to talk, nothing more. He seemed interested and agreed to meet."

"You—that's it? He agreed just like that?" Scott paused and let the words sink in. His ears started buzzing in the silence and his entire body felt hot. He had been sure that negotiations would have to take place or he would have to prove himself somehow before the white wolf would even agree to see him.

Scott blinked, a single thought rushing through him: _finally_. All the answers were finally within his sight. He could finally fix himself. He could finally _win_ against this darkness. Scott blinked again and realized that he was clutching his chest a wide grin stretching his face. He was unused to the expression now.

"Like I said, I was shocked too." Derek looked so incredibly proud of himself that Scott couldn't help but grab the other boy in a fierce hug.

"This means a lot to me, Derek," he said and felt the other wolf respond with a similarly fervent embrace. He pulled back after a moment and touched his forehead to Scott's.

"You're my alpha, but also my brother. I'd do anything for you." Scott enjoyed platonic comfort, the emotion chased away the darkness in his mind.

"We need to tell the other's now." Scott stood up and Derek followed. "When did he say to meet?"

"Tonight, at midnight in the Precinct of Amun Re...wherever that is."


	7. Chapter 7

Scott thought the Precinct of Amun Re might be hard to find, some little known area that only wolves knew about, but the reality was—

"It's a tourist attraction," Deucalion commented as they stood in the middle of what had once been a great hall, several ancient pillars surrounding them, carvings worn and completely faded in some areas. The sky was a mixture of black, dark blues and deep purples as the stars winked in the distance. It was well past midnight and the warm air was stale as Scott leaned against one of the crumbling pillars, pretending he wasn't nervous. "Are you feeling well?" The older man pressed closer to Scott, almost touching.

"I'm fine," he assured him. "I had convinced myself he was real, but even then there was doubt. To find out not only is he real, but alive and wants to speak to me is a bit overwhelming."

"You two are both special," Deucalion said. "I doubt he's ever seen another true alpha either."

"You think...you think he can help with the darkness in me?" Scott had never spoken to him about the shadows he felt crawl into his mind the night he killed Jennifer in great length before. That action had changed him forever and Scott wondered if he had told Derek about the Nematon ritual if anything would have changed. Deucalion was the only one who knew about his darkness, or seemed to understand Scott's sickness for what it was.

"I..." The older wolf hesitated and Scott couldn't decipher what the other was feeling, his face had gone blank and his voice quiet. "I don't know. Even if he can't, I'll still—I'll always, erm..." It was a bit funny watching Deucalion fumble over words, but it brought back to mind that something was starting between them. Scott's head started pounding again at the mere thought. The young man brought his hands up to rub circles on his temples, although the action threw off Deucalion. "No! W-what I meant was—"

"Hey!" Kali finally called, hands on hips. "This white wolf ever going to show or did the Hale boy make everything up?" Derek promptly started to growl and Scott rolled his eyes. At least until he blinked and a man had appeared behind the she-wolf.

"Kali!" Scott called and sprang up. The woman tensed at his words and whirled around, flinging herself away from the stranger and snarling in alarm.

"Wait!" Derek called out and put himself in front of the man. "This is him!" Scott didn't drop his offensive posture and the rest of the pack drew towards him, looking wary. "I swear, this is him," Derek assured them.

"You weren't joking, Derek," the man finally said, voice a deep baritone. "That young one really is your alpha."

"Derek get back here," Scott called out and his beta ran over, joining the others as Scott walked forward and studied the man in front of him. He was at least a head taller than the younger alpha, raven hair slicked to the side. His eyes were just as dark as Scott's natural ones as well as skin tone, and his build was also lanky but muscular. He physically looked the same age as Deucalion, but then again, wolves didn't really age past their prime. Scott blinked as he recognized his bone structure.

"You're Native American?" Which, wow, great conversation starter between a legendary wolf and himself. Scott tried to backpedal. "Wh-what I meant was, uh, it's just my research never showed that you had been to America."

"I left as soon as I was able and never returned," the man replied and sure, that made sense. Scott wasn't sure why he cared so much about the guy's ethnicity.

"I'm Scott." He stuck his hand out, belatedly realizing the other wolf might have a different way of greeting.

He grasped Scott's hand firmly and shook it. "I don't remember mine. I've gone by so many. For now, the people here call me Akh." He quirked an eyebrow at the blank look Scott gave him and gave a small chuckle. "The Akh is their concept of a soul, and is the closest thing to the western idea of a ghost or spirit."

"They think you're a ghost?" he asked.

Akh nodded. "It's what I let the people of this city believe. Makes it easier for my pack and I." And as if on cue, Scott watched as several people stepped from the shadows, their eyes glowing either gold or blue. He felt his own pack tense. "Most were omegas, wandering without purpose, I gave them a pack again."

"There has to be close to thirty wolves."

Scott was in awe. He'd never seen such a large pack before. Didn't think it was possible to control that many.

"I've been here for close to ninety years." Akh shrugged. "Word spreads that there's a sanctuary for omegas and they flock from every corner of the world. I turn none away. But enough about me, I heard that you need help?"

Scott frowned. "You want to help? Just like that?"

"When you've been alive as long as I have, fighting just isn't that important anymore it's—"

"Tiring." Scott sighed and the older man nodded.

"Indeed." Akh looked towards his pack and waved them over. "Come greet our new guests. Scott's group has traveled a long way."

They swarmed over and Scott had to fight back the instinct to rejoin his pack as they clumped closer together, wary of the wolves pressing against them in greeting, especially when one female ran her hand up Deucalion's arm. He jerked quickly away and Scott let a growl slip from his throat.

"Ah, that one's yours, isn't he?" Akh smiled and the younger man blushed. The white wolf barked a command and the female swiftly pulled back from Deucalion, looking admonished. "Come, we shall talk of your issue." Akh slapped Scott on the shoulder and led him away. He tried to meet Deucalion's eyes, but it was impossible through his glasses and Scott turned away, still anxious.

Akh walked the young alpha away from the pillars towards an open area, passing underneath a statue of, what Scott assumed was a pharaoh, slightly disconcerted when he realized half the statue's face was missing.

"This is Karnak," Akh explained, "a vast mix of decayed temples, chapels, and pylons. Built around 3200 BC. You like it?"

"At night? It's more creepy than anything else," Scott answered honestly, scratching the back of his head. The older man chuckled gently.

"I thought that too, when I first arrived." They stopped next to a couple of smaller pillars and Akh leaned comfortably against one. "So, what is wrong with your transformation? That is what you wish to discuss, yes? This is a rare gift."

"I know," Scott assured him, "I've seen it before. It's...complicated."

"Most are." Akh nodded. "The transformation is different from each wolf, so do not compare yourself to others in this instance."

A thought struck Scott suddenly. "Is—can it be passed down through family? The last wolf I heard of to fully transform; her daughter had a similar, if not complete, ability as well. Although it only manifested after death, according to Derek."

"Possibly. I don't know much about how dominant the trait is. I have never had children so it's hard to say." Akh shrugged, shoulders lose and it told Scott's instincts that he wasn't worried, even alone out here with an unknown alpha.

"It's okay, it was just a thought that popped up." He thought of Laura and Peter's forms, something Derek clearly didn't share. Scott glanced up at Akh and decided to bite the bullet and get the his real question. "Is my wolf form...wrong?"

Akh frowned. "Has it always been such, or a recent development?"

"I wasn't born with the ability," Scott started, "O-or rather, um, I got it after I was first bitten. This was forced on me by another werewolf, although she didn't expect me to become a wolf."

"Interesting. That's very difficult magic to perform. Do you know how it happened?"

"It was an arrow she shot at me," Scott recalled, "it hit me in the chest. It was black and had carvings engraved in it, but when I transformed it disappeared. I looked through dozens of books and scoured the internet but I could never find any mention of something similar."

"I see." Akh's face set and he looked Scott up and down, eyes sharp and seeming to take in every detail. "There is no arrow in mythology that transforms humans to gods or demons. However, an arrow from Artemis' bow could affect a werewolf. Her bow was crafted by moonlight and silver wood—the things tied strongest to werewolf mythology. An arrow of mistletoe carved with the Greek symbol of Lycaon in it shot from this bow could force a transformation. But this is speculation on my part, I've never heard of it actually being done. The bow is real, I've seen it before, but to go that far—"

"I don't think she expected me to turn into a wolf," Scott stressed. "Also...what? How do you know all of this? Most of that was obscure mythology references." Scott's headache came back in full force. He only understood what Akh said because of his own heavy research into the subject.

Akh chuckled. "It's not obscure if you've spent two lifetimes researching mythology like this. Theoretically, that is one plausible way that your transformation could be forced. The arrow would trigger a change, although as with most werewolf transformations there are endless possibilities. As to her surprise, why? You are a wolf, what else would she expect you to transform into?"

"Darkness." Scott sighed. "When I was younger, a druid turned dark and became a darach. She started a spell of sacrifices to obtain more power and took my mother. To save her, my own emissary suggested a ritual where I swap places as my mother's sacrifice to learn the location of the darach, but to do so I had to die. I was warned that I would live with 'darkness around my heart' for the rest of my life. I think she expected me to become that darkness when she shot the arrow."

"'Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds,'" Akh said and Scott shook his head.

"Nothing that dramatic," he asserted. "I'm not Oppenheimer. Neither my power nor darkness could consume the world—"

"It has yours," Akh countered and Scott flinched. "If this woman knew of your darkness then she must have believed it consumed you. However wrong she was, I'm not surprised your wolf form is...different. Scott, have you ever heard of a kanima?"

"Y-yes. My friend Jackson became one after he was bitten." And something clicked in Scott's head and he heaved a sigh. "My form reflects my heart and my heart is surrounded by darkness." Of course he would look distorted. Scott ran his hands across his face. "I can't believe I never even considered that."

"Darkness can be rather self-centered," Akh said gently. "That fact that you are fighting is good news, the fact that you transformed into a wolf instead of something worse means you are strong."

"Not strong enough," Scott muttered. "I slip all the time—hurt people I should care about. Can't stand intimacy anymore. The light hurts more and more. That's why I came to you, I need help. There must be something that can be done about this." Scott didn't want to say he was begging, but it was close. "Have you at least seen this before?"

"Oh several times," Akh confirmed. "It doesn't always have to be so dramatic as performing a blood ritual to let darkness into your heart. Ask that wolf of yours, the one you marked."

"Deucalion?" Scott asked. "I-I mean, he was pretty darkside when we first met, but I wouldn't go so far as—"

"You clearly don't know how a demon wolf is made," Akh cut him off and Scott felt his hackles rise.

"Alright, but he's changed since then. If he had darkness in him and was able to beat or suppress it, then can't I?"

"It's true, I sense no malevolence from his aura—"

"You can sense auras now?" Scott's believability was being pushed to its limits.

"—but that is a rare phenomena. I wonder myself how it was accomplished."

"It didn't happen all as once, I think," Scott recalled, trying to remember Deucalion from before: the man who had been his enemy and sought to make Scott his. "I took over the pack by force. We fought and I won. He still fought me, asked me to kill him, refused to submit. I—uh, I forced him to submit." Images played out in his mind. Deucalion's panicked expression, his scent of terror and ecstasy, the way his back arched in pleasure as Scott's teeth had been around him, and finally his screams as Scott violated him echoed like a ghost in his ear. Scott squeezed his eyes shut, teeth clenched as he relived one of his darkest moments. "But," Scott blinked. Another memory came to him. After he had finished, when Deucalion had been sobbing underneath him, Scott had felt something seal in his chest, like the darkness had swelled further inside him. When he had watched Deucalion's eyes that night, it looked like a taint had left them. Scott had just thought it a trick of the light, or his own mind but...

"It was slow," he repeated. "But his most drastic change happened after our first night together when I asserted my dominance. At first I thought it was because I had claimed him, but now...maybe I took more from him than I thought." He'd never considered that Deucalion had been dealing with his own darkness before, from when he'd been attacked and blinded, from whatever ritual he'd performed to become a demon wolf. If he had been fighting voices and violent urges for ten years like Scott had, then his actions in Beacon Hills made much more sense. Violence and desperation to find someone similar, to make someone like himself so he wouldn't be alone.

Scott could understand that so well that it physically hurt.

He was drawn back to the present by Akh's hum of confusion and Scott snapped his head up. "What about the other wolves? You said you've seen several like me. How did they beat the darkness within them? Or contain it or—"

"Most didn't, Scott," Akh responded sharply and Scott felt his chest twist in fear. "There are some ceremonies that can be performed where a person can enter their soul to fight the darkness inside, but that is only in certain cases. What you did, I-I'm not sure. Was that the first time you let darkness in? What about when you killed your alpha?"

"My alpha?" Scott's mind slammed to a halt.

"The alpha who bit you, was it in malice that you killed him or was he injured or old and it was a gift of mercy?"

"You mean Peter?" Scott blinked. "Derek killed him, twice."

"Then who did you kill for your power?"

"Um." This was awkward. "I-I thought Derek told you. I never killed anyone for my alpha status, I'm like you; a true alpha—a very twisted true alpha."

Akh's face became stone and Scott had no idea what he had said wrong. Was there some rule that said two true alphas couldn't meet? Wouldn't the others have told him that if it was true?

"I'd just like to stress that I am not here for your pack or territory. I don't want to fight." Just in case there were any doubts, Scott wanted to put that out there. "B-but I think the moment you're talking about, of letting darkness in, the first time I felt it was when I killed Jennifer, that's when I accepted who I am now. People thought it wouldn't work, that if I killed her I couldn't become a true alpha because your eyes change color if you kill an innocent person, but Jennifer wasn't innocent. And when I killed her, I became an alpha, but I think I didn't just let the darkness in...I embraced it as well. I—I was confused for a very long time after that, still am, I think. Just tell me, can anything be done? Or is this my life forever? Will I always be fighting the darkness?"

"Yes."

"Wh-what?" Scott froze. Akh looked back at him, eyes dark and cold.

"The darkness cannot be beaten with any ritual or spell. You were consumed without having a chance to ever fight. You retained your true alpha status because she wasn't innocent, but you still took a life, a life fueled by other lives—who were innocent—and her shadows rushed into you because of the door you opened in your heart. You probably unintentionally took your beta's darkness as well when you claimed him, you would have been sensitive at that point to such things. You acted as a beacon for darkness. It has twisted your heart beyond repair."

"I..." So he had taken Deucalion's darkness. Scott wondered if this was what Deucalion had wanted, when he forced him to kill Jennifer. To engulf Scott in so much darkness he could never be pure again, to break him this completely. His chest twisted in pain and he fought back the ugly urge to lash out. "But I'm fighting it, you said that was good."

"Tell me, Scott: have you been tiring more of late? As you fight for more control to calm yourself, do you also find you grow tired quickly and need to sleep often?"

"How did you—"

"It won't last long," Akh assured him. "You will soon be unable to fight the violence inside you and it will consume everything. Your body, your life, your very essence. Nothing will be left of the person you are. Just darkness, like the wolf who shot you proclaimed."

"You mean, I'm dead? I'll die from this?" This was a perfect time to cry, but no tears came forward. Scott fell to his knees. His pack...his pack would watch him die. "Please, there has to be something. Something must be able to remove o-or at least fight this darkness."

"You know, when I was young a wise woman told me my future," Akh commented, seemingly lost in thought. "Told me how I would die. Most people would be terrified to learn that, but it gave me strength. I was never scared of death after that, because I knew what mine would look like and have never seen it. Now I wonder how other people deal with that fear of the unknown, knowing death could come from anywhere. At least I found peace when the moment came."

"I-I don't understand."

Akh finally turned to him. "There's only one way I know that your darkness can be cleansed."

Hope flared in Scott's chest. "How?"

"Death."

It was so sudden. For one moment, Akh was standing in front of him, dry wind ruffling his loose clothes. The next, a gigantic white wolf was upon Scott, sinking his claws into the younger man's chest. Running on pure instinct, Scott tilted his head just far enough so that his neck was spared the same treatment from Akh's jaws. He had just enough time let out half a bark, a desperate warning to his pack, before falling to the floor as blood splashed everywhere. The gashes in his chest were deep, too deep. Scott felt himself cough up more, raising his arm as Akh tried to tear at his throat again, wincing as teeth ripped through muscle.

Scott tried to growl, tried to do something, but Akh's claws were cutting at his body and he couldn't move. He didn't want to die. Scott felt tears prick at his eyes. There was a roar and a body collided with Akh's, throwing him off the young alpha. Scott struggled for breath and looked up, seeing Deucalion tear at the white wolf's throat with his claws in rage, fully transformed into his demon state. He reared his head and gave a long howl, pain and fury wrapped in it's notes. Scott strained to get up, but the pain was overwhelming and he collapsed with a cry.

"Scott!" Deucalion's voice was frantic, he made a motion to help, but a large paw caught him across his shoulder and tossed him aside. Scott squeezed his eyes shut and tried to concentrate. The only way to fight now was to transform. The shifting of his body and organs displaced wounds and left them in a less serious state than when he was human.

He forced himself to block out the sounds of fighting. His pack had to be combating the rest of Akh's wolves, but there were too many. Defeat was inevitable at this rate. Scott felt his skin break and bones alter, his shirt ripped and the pain from his wounds dwindling as strength flowed into his body. His transformation was taking too long and Scott pressed to go faster, feeling his tail grow and whip out, fangs elongating and fur sprout.

A pained cry ripped from Deucalion and brought the young man back to his senses. Scott scrambled up in his new body, the gashes on his chest and arm were still present, but he pushed the pain to the back of his mind. His only thought was to find Deucalion. Scott turned and had just enough time to register Deucalion was on the ground, hands covering his face as he screamed, before Akh leapt on him. Blood splattered on the ground, claws tore at Deucalion's chest and shredded flesh and cloth as the white wolf snapped at his throat with bared fangs.

No! Scott's body reacted without thought. He flung himself at Akh, biting at his snout before it could close around Deucalion's neck. Scott headbutted the other, making Akh rear back. He used that moment to bowl into the other wolf, teeth tearing at his exposed stomach and tossing him back several feet away. Scott turned, circling back to his fallen pack member, guarding him. He looked down and licked at Deucalion's hands urgently, trying to let him see the damage on his face, as he whimpered.

"It's fine." Deucalion raised one hand and ran it through Scott's fur. "He just slashed out my eyes. Lucky for me, they're already useless. They'll heal." All Scott saw was a long bloody gash across the top of his face. "They'll heal Scott, don't worry. A-are you—" Scott couldn't answer, but he knew Deucalion could smell his blood. The older man grimaced. "You didn't want to fight. You just wanted to talk." Scott whined in agreeing confusion and grabbed Deucalion's shirt with his teeth, trying to drag the other away as he watched Akh scramble up from the ground. As well as his face and chest being slashed at, Scott noticed Deucalion's right leg was close to coming off. He wasn't going to be able to walk for several days...if they survived that is.

"Scott, don't." Deucalion tried to push at his face and Scott dropped him abruptly as Akh lunged at them. The younger alpha threw himself forward and met the charge head on. They clashed; Akh's glossy white fur against Scott's matted dark brown. He snarled, not letting up as Deucalion lay right behind them. He needed to protect his pack. Scott pushed with all his might, slipping as Akh's teeth caught at his mane and hurled him aside. Scott dragged his body up and roared in challenge, relieved to see Akh ignore Deucalion in favor of fighting him. He backed up, closer to where his pack and the others were fighting, trying to lead him as far away from Deucalion as possible.

The white wolf growled in warning and Scott ducked as he swiped out with his claws. They danced back and forth, Scott giving more and more ground, unable to keep up with Akh's speed and power. Scott felt as his own blood splash across his paws, the wounds on chest not healing. In a moment of clarity, he realized what he was doing wrong. Akh barreled into him and the younger wolf skidded across the floor, a high yip of pain escaping him.

Scott fought to his feet, new conviction in his stance. He was doing this all wrong, he was trying to live when it was far too late for that. Scott's injured arm burned and he bared his teeth at Akh. He needed to stop trying to live and start fighting to win, to take Akh down with him. It was the only option left. The rage that was bubbling deep within in, the darkness Scott had been trying to hold back, he let it out and directed everything towards the white wolf. Akh must have sensed the change in Scott as the young wolf charged, screaming at the other with feral brutality.

He tore at everything, unable to control his frenzy; flesh, rock, ground, it didn't matter. The darkness was pouring out of him (or was that his blood?) and Scott let it consume him. If that's what Akh had been afraid of then Scott was happy to confirm that fear. Blood was foaming in his mouth and Scott kept pushing forward, uncaring when he felt Akh's teeth or claws rip at him, so long as he took the other wolf down. True alpha against true alpha. Scott's tactics and fighting style changed, his movements more erratic with less control and more power fueling them. He didn't let instinct guide him, only blind rage that pushed all distractions from his mind. Scott didn't care if Akh could read his movements, could guess where he would attack next, the speed and force of his claws and fangs kept the white wolf unable to form any approach of his own. Scott battled only to win.

Akh howled in alarm and leapt back deep into his pack with wolves surrounding him instantly in defense. Scott screamed at him in rage, unbelieving that he would cower behind his betas.

"Scott..." The alpha turned his head and watched as Derek fell to the ground in exhaustion, deep claw marks raked across his entire back soaking his clothes in blood. Scott's felt his stomach drop as he took in the sight, his fur stood on end as he listened to his brother's heart stutter. The battle fell away for a moment. The rest of the world dimmed and only Derek remained sharp and in focus. Scott fought to ignore his own heart as it hammered against his ribcage. He swallowed, throat dry suddenly, and sprinted over to try and lift the Derek back up.

Scott barked and it tapered off to a growl, a command to get up, but Derek's back was covered in blood and his arms shook as he tried to support himself.

"Too many...wasn't expecting a fight," Derek breathed against Scott's fur, clutching the wolf's back, trying to stay upright. Scott saw Kali and the twins in their combined form, still fighting, but they wouldn't last much longer at this rate.

He and his pack were going to die.

Akh roared at his wolves and they circled Scott and Derek, snapping at them as they edged closer. Scott curled around Derek, trying to protect his beta, snarling. An alpha was supposed to protect his pack. Scott had to defend them. He couldn't...he had to be better than this.

"Scott, I'm sorry," Derek whispered.

Scott panicked and gathered all of the strength he had left with only one thought in mind: protect.

His eyes lit red with power, like jewels shining in the sun. His stance widened as Scott took a deep breath, looking past his darkness and beckoning shadows towards something deeper, something more powerful that he had called on once before. It felt like a spiraling wind inside his whole being, building energy and Scott focused on the bright lights in his life. The people who connected him to his humanity.

His mother's eyes and the pride in them when she looked at him, the way they crinkled at the edges and her laugh lines. The feeling of safety and home as she hugged him when he was a child.

The pressure of Allison's hand in his. Her scent as they walked through the forest, skipping an entire day of school and being normal normal for the first time in ages.

The sound of Stiles' jeep and it's distinctive engine as his friend chatted a mile a minute about a subject, a background noise that calmed Scott. The steady presence of his friend's heartbeat.

Deucalion's words to him 'You're not alone,' and the sincerity in his voice.

Scott's howl shook the ground with its power, vibrating through the air. The roar of a True Alpha. All of Akh's wolves within a twenty-foot radius of him buckled and fell to the floor, forced back to their human state. Scott kept it up as long as he could, collapsing when he ran out of air. Derek stood up in his place, eyes bright red and glowing, gaining a second wind. Kali and the twins did the same and with most of Akh's wolves changed, at the very least, Scott's pack would get through this.

The whines of Akh's pack filled the air as they inched away from Scott, metaphoric tails tucked between their legs. He staggered to his feet and had just enough time to leap away as the white wolf came crashing down, teeth barred and eyes wild. His growl was a challenge and Scott dredged up the last of his strength and threw himself at the other. His pack would make it, they would survive, now all he had to do was take Akh out and it would be over. His head was light and fuzzy, body almost floating, but Scott supposed it was the blood loss talking.

He dodged Akh's claws and went for his head, tearing at an ear and yelping as Akh's teeth gouged at his neck, tearing through his mane and skin, but missing his vitals. Both wolves fell back, breathing hard. Scott knew he was done, his body was about to give out, he only had one more shot.

Scott stepped forward, his anger exhausted, and reached one more time for the only thought that kept him standing; he had to protect the pack. Even as a beta, being a guardian was the only thing he had ever really been good at. Scott ducked low and barreled at Akh, the other wolf leaping over him and Scott rolled over and skid to a stop, flying into the air to snap at his exposed neck. He didn't know why Akh was attacking him and honestly, he didn't care. Scott had it coming, he had done some terrible things in the past few years.

But he wouldn't allow anyone to fuck with his pack.

Scott's jaws closed around Akh's neck and he bit down with all his might, feeling blood splash around him. They both hit the floor with a thud. The young alpha kept hold of the white wolf's neck until he finally felt the other still, breath coming out in one last sigh. He looked into Akh's eyes, hoping to find an answer to the attack, but the older wolf's eyes had already glazed over, seeming at peace and Scott realized he'd never know. Didn't matter, he could live with that...or rather...

A whine slipped from Scott's mouth as his legs buckled and he dropped to the floor, bone tired and knowing he didn't have long. He felt his eyes shutter closed—

"Scott!" It was the twins, having separated and halved their wounds. Ethan was limping over to him. "I-I mean, Alpha!"

Did we win? Scott put the question in his huff and Ethan glanced around.

"There were only a few left, they ran when their leader fell, w-we let them go. Was that ok?" Scott nodded. "Kali and Derek passed out, they're covered in blood, Alpha. A-are you—" His eyes traveled over Scott's body and he watched the twin come to the same conclusion he had. "No..."

Something tugged at Scott's heart and he tried to get up. His pack could still die at this rate, they needed help. Dying could wait until after that. Scott bowed his head and tried to think of a memory.

He's in an elevator at the hospital, anxious to talk to Isaac, or at least see him. He had hoped all this supernatural stuff would stop popping up, he just got his life back on track. As the door started to close a metal stick jammed its way in the middle and the boy jumped before sighing as an older man opened the door and stepped inside. Scott swallowed his annoyance when he realized the man was blind.

"Would you hit the button for the second floor, please?" Scott's hands had become sweaty but he nodded, belatedly realizing how useless an action like that was, and pressed the button again.

"Yeah."

"Thank you." Afterwards, there was an awkward silence. The man was his height with bronze hair swept to the side and an angular face. Something about his scent drew Scott's interest and he quickly turned away, again realizing he didn't need to. The door opened and Scott had to keep himself from running out, startling when a hand dropped onto his shoulder, sending a jolt down his spine. "If you wouldn't mind?" the man asked without really asking, his voice heavy with a British accent. Scott sighed and slumped his shoulders, too polite to say no. The hand that gripped him was warm and strong; he ignored the tingle in his stomach and marched forward.

Scott gasped as he snapped out of it. Usually reliving a memory wasn't that intense. Strong hands grasped his arms—his human arms—and Ethan pulled him up.

Ethan's eyes widened. "Your body." Scott forced himself not to look at his chest. The last thing he needed was to go into shock.

"Any of my clothes make it?" he asked and started to walk over, shaking the twin off. His legs, compared to the rest of him, were fine. Or at least would last a little longer before giving out. Miraculously his jeans had survived the transformation and Scott pulled them on slowly, wincing from the pain. Ethan and Aiden came up to him, looking pale and scared. Aiden sported a large gash across his chin and forehead, trying to blink out the blood.

"Grab Kali and Derek," Scott ordered the two, "I'll get Deucalion. There was an Urgent Care center near our hotel. I'll try to patch everyone up best I can. I-I'm good with dogs." He tried to joke but it fell flat and forced.

"Wh-what about you?" Aiden asked.

"Go," Scott growled and the twins rushed off. Ethan slung Derek over his shoulders while Aiden picked Kali up bridal style. Scott shuffled over to Deucalion as his sides started to burn. The man was still breathing, though it was labored. Blood trickled from his face and leg, the healing slow as an alpha gave him the wounds. He stirred as Scott grabbed his waist and pushed his upper body over his shoulder. "Don't move," Scott ordered and he felt the older wolf relax and sleep again.

"The sun's going to rise in a few hours," Aiden warned him.

"We'll be gone by then, c'mon." And the three slowly made their way out of the ruins and towards the city. Scott had them keep to the shadows to avoid notice. They broke through the back door of the urgent care center. The two employees jumped up in alarm and rushed forward. "Wipe their memories." Scott nodded to Ethan and the older boy placed Derek down before sinking his claws into the back of the employee's necks, rendering them unconscious.

"They'll wake up thinking a burglary happened," Ethan stated and Scott made his way to the operating tables and placed Deucalion on one, the twins following suit.

"I'm going to need any disinfectant you can find, scent for alcohol if you're unsure," Scott began ordering as he went to a sink and started washing his blood-covered hands. It only partially helped as his own wounds weren't healing and the gashes on his arms still bled, but it was the best he could do. "I'm going to try and help the healing process by stitching and wrapping up their wounds."

"We could try and take away some of their pain," Aiden offered as he gave Scott several bottles of rubbing alcohol.

"You'd die in your conditions," Scott said. "Or at the very least lose your alpha status. If I could..." He placed a hand on Deucalion's leg and for old time's sake reached out for his pain, jolting back when his veins ran black.

"What—" Aiden's eyes went wide.

"I-I didn't think a demon wolf could do that." Ethan glanced quickly from Scott's hand to Deucalion.

"He's not a demon wolf." Aiden's eyes shined with hope and Scott didn't want to believe it.

"But the darkness in me..." He trailed off. Why was he arguing? This only helped matters. Scott reached back to Deucalion and gasped as the pain hit him. He took as much as he dared, relieved to see the bleeding slow, then stop. "Hand me a needle and some thread." Ethan passed over the supplies and Scott quickly went to work, going on to autopilot; he could do this in his sleep. He'd always been good at healing.

When Scott finished with the leg, he moved to Deucalion's chest and started the stitching, taking a bit more of the man's pain with him. He instructed the twins to wrap his wounds in gauze, including his eyes, which unfortunately, no one could do much about. He went to Derek next and looked over his friend's back then cleaned it with alcohol and reached for his pain.

"Alpha...your blood." Ethan's voice was urgent.

"Yeah, I'm not healing, so what?" Scott shrugged and immediately regretted it.

"No, not that," Aiden agreed and Scott looked down finally. His chest was horrendous, the gouges going so deep as to show his splintered ribs and lung tissue, but what really got him was that his blood had turned black. Scott felt faint and forced himself not to pass out, leaning hard against the table.

"You're taking too much in!" Ethan insisted.

"It doesn't matter." Scott sighed and met his beta's stare. "In the end, it doesn't matter." He went back to healing his pack, moving on to Kali and looking over her badly shredded legs. "All those high kicks," he muttered and barely flinched as his veins blackened. In some way, it felt like a poison was leaving his body, the more he healed. His anger was exhausted from battle and now his darkness couldn't compete with the bittersweet sting of taking pain instead of giving. The more he restored his pack, the lighter he felt, the less control the darkness had.

Scott turned to the twins last and they both backed away, shaking their heads.

"Alpha, you can't take anymore," Ethan pleaded, "you look like you're dying."

"I am, Ethan." The peace Scott felt was liberating. Maybe there was a reason Akh looked that way when he died. He reached out and placed a hand on both boys' chests. "And it's alright. So long as the rest of the pack makes it." So much pain was already heaped upon him, Scott could take a little more.

"A pack needs an alpha." Aiden's words were harsh, but his face was torn. The cuts along his face slowly healed and Scott pulled back, nearly collapsing.

"And you still have one." He nodded and made his way to Deucalion, almost floating on air, Scott couldn't feel his feet any longer. "He can take care of the pack again." The older wolf's face was swathed in bandages, his eyes completely covered and as an afterthought, Scott placed his hand on the other's face and gave everything he had left to the man's eyes. At least when Deucalion woke up he'd be able to use his wolf vision to move around. Scott gasped as his body gave out and tumbled to the floor.

He felt hollow, but also light. The weight that had settled around him was gone. The darkness no longer tainted his thoughts. The urge to hurt replaced with the need to heal and protect. If only it wasn't too late.

Deucalion's arm had slipped off the table when Scott had collapsed, draped in front of the teen as he sat below, breaths shallow and pained. He'd never really noticed the older man's hands before, but he liked them now that he had the chance. Long, graceful fingers a bit at odds with his compact and muscular body, the tips calloused from years of reading braille. Yeah, Scott liked them. As his vision clouded over he imagined them tracing his face.


	8. Chapter 8

Scott glanced around, his world covered in blinding white; he blinked several times.

"Shit." He knew where this was. He was back in that white chamber where the ritual had taken him, Stiles, and Allison. Although, this time there was no bathtub or Nemeton, and he wasn't soaking wet. _Thank god_.

A growl sounded behind him and Scott whipped around. A white wolf sat a ways away and the younger alpha tensed.

"What do _you_ want?" Scott braced himself. The white wolf tilted his head. Another growl sounded and Scott jumped as a grey wolf walked past him, paying the young man no heed.

_I was told my death would be my own choice._ The white wolf's eyes burned into Scott's, blazing red. _I was told I would save another of my kind, a young alpha: true but lost._

"Me?" Scott felt stupid. Of course him, who else would Akh be talking to? Or not really talking, but Scott could feel the voice in his head.

_I said only one thing could cleanse your darkness_.

"Death."

_My death. A ritual sacrifice like the one you performed so long ago. Like yours, it was done out of love_.

"Love?" Scott scoffed. "You don't even know me. And your pack—some of your pack died and mine almost followed!"

_Nothing worthy is ever achieved without a cost_. The white wolf stood up and joined the gray. _You fought me in righteous anger to cleanse your hate. You healed your pack to purify your darkness. The rest is up to you_. He turned and walked away.

The gray wolf looked back at Scott, golden eyes glowing with a vibrant intensity, and the young man felt something flicker in his mind; an echo of Deucalion's voice.

"Anubis?" he asked, but the gray wolf turned away and they both vanished from Scott's sight, leaving him alone in the white abyss.

.

* * *

.

When Scott opened his eyes again the glaring whiteness still surrounded him. He sighed loudly. A heartbeat close to him skyrocketed and there was a flurry of motion.

"Sc—Alpha!" Deucalion's face hovered over his, glasses dark, mouth a thin line and jaw tense. "Y-you're awake! I—"

"You're here." Scott's chest eased and he gave a small grin. Deucalion wore his regular street clothes, hair unkempt and stubble thick along his jawline. He looked paler than Scott remembered. The younger man blinked as he realized the bigger issue.

"_I'm_ _alive_," he remarked and felt stupid for saying it out loud. Scott struggled to look around, neck stiff and sore. He appeared to be in some type of hospital, given the sterile environment and plethora of machines wired up to his body. "How'd _I_ get here?" Scott winced as he peeked down at his chest and arms, unsurprised to find them wrapped tightly in gauze.

"Derek." Deucalion answered shortly and Scott noticed a tremor running through his fingers.

"He woke up?" Scott prompted when the older man didn't continue.

"We all woke up." Deucalion ran a hand through his hair, mussing it further. The whole rugged look he had was slightly distracting. It was so odd seeing it on the older man—and rather _attractive_. A broken note in Deucalion's voice dragged Scott back to the conversation. "Aiden and Ethan were screaming at you. I-I couldn't hear your heart." His face twisted in anger, lips pulled back and fangs showing. Scott swallowed as guilt pierced his chest. "Derek grabbed you and made for the nearest hospital."

"Derek?" Scott tilted his head as he listened but didn't hear his pack close by. "Deucalion, I took in so much pain my blood turned black. I _shouldn't_ be alive."

Deucalion took a shuddering breath, shoulders tense. His entire body was coiled taut and ready to snap. Scott wondered when he had last eaten or slept. "You almost didn't survive. You lost so much blood, you were nearly dead when Derek brought you in. I-I thought—" Deucalion silenced himself, unable to continue. Scott turned away and tried to organize his feelings. He still felt empty, like there was a hole in his chest. A bitter thought rose to mind.

"I should have died."

"_Don't say that_." The fury in Deucalion's voice startled the younger wolf. "You never deserved to die, not once. Not for what you did."

"For what I did to you...to Aiden, for how many people I killed—"

"_Scott_," Deucalion cut him off, voice hard. "I heard your conversation with Akh."

Scott's hands clenched the sheets. "Wh—how? We were clear across the ruins, in a totally separate area."

"My hearing in better than an average wolf's." Deucalion pointed to his sightless eyes, hidden under dark shades. "And if I concentrate, I can extend it even further. Your voice...has always been easy to pick out."

Scott was cautious. "You heard everything?"

"You mean, did I hear how I'm responsible for all the pain you've been through? Yes, I heard that part quite clearly." Scott could see the anguish on Deucalion's face. His voice was barely above a whisper as he continued, "That I broke you so completely, I inflicted my own wretched darkness upon you and left you to suffer with it alone. That you have been fighting the insanity of those voices for years whereas I gave in immediately. You were consumed by sins not yours and kept struggling to fight even as you failed—I, Scott—_oh god_—"

Deucalion buried his head in his hands and Scott watched as the man pulled himself together from the brink of an emotional collapse. He tried to reach out and touch Deucalion but the man jerked away. "No; to answer your question."

"What question?" Scott asked.

"The one you asked that first night: if I wanted you to become this." Deucalion dropped his hands and turned towards Scott. "I had wanted to break you, wanted to claim and make you mine, but I never intended to make you more of a monster than me."

Scott's mouth went dry and he tried to swallow, eyes becoming wet. "I—"

"But I did more then break you," Deucalion continued harshly. "I made you impossibly strong and ruthless, cruel and brutal. The type of alpha I feared most: one that could dominate me. I was a proud and arrogant man and you brought me down, dragged me off the false pedestal I'd placed myself on and reduced me to nothing." He paused and his voice became venom. "And I _deserved_ it."

"No—"

Deucalion cut him off again. "Scott, I knew within the first few months that you were constantly in a great deal of pain. I saw the regret in your eyes when you hurt me, knew that your actions weren't of your own choice. After every heat I would sit outside of the bathroom and listen to you scream and cry. I _knew_, but I was angry with you. I wanted to hate you so desperately that I ignored your pain and the guilt I felt. I refused to try and help you until it was too late."

"Too late?" Scott echoed, confused.

"When Aiden attacked you and I protected him. When _I_ became the betrayer. You made an impossible choice after being betrayed by several of your betas—one that even belonged to you—and you let us _live_. I realized then that even at your lowest you were still _you_, the boy I first met, the True Alpha, and that compassion ran deep through your heart. I was shamed. I looked at myself and wondered who the real monster was."

Scott felt sick to his stomach. "You...just because I let you live didn't make me less a monster. Don't make excuses for my behavior."

"Then don't make excuses for my past deeds either." Deucalion snapped. His voice softened a second later. "Capture-bonding is quiet common in wolf packs, my feelings of empathy for you, the abuser, is part of it—but I know what I'm saying is true as well. We were both monsters. We both hurt the other in different ways."

Scott didn't know how to respond. So he sat there, absorbing Deucalion's words and realized at some point he had started crying.

"I admit that the fault is mainly mine, not yours. I brought this all on myself," Deucalion continued, like if he stopped he would never have another chance to speak. "I destroyed you and you _healed_ me, took away my darkness." His voice wavered and the older man hastily wiped at his eyes. "I realized that I had to let go of my anger, that it was nothing more than wounded pride. I was finally able acknowledge your pain for the first time when I did. I—I'm so sorry."

Silence consumed both men and they sat for awhile, too immersed in their own thoughts. Scott at last realized what he wanted to say.

"It's odd," he remarked. "I never blamed you." Deucalion released a long breath, the sound hitching at the end.

"Typical."

"So when you came to me that night," Scott recalled, "in the warehouse and called yourself mine for the first time, that was..."

"Me coming to my own conclusions," Deucalion confirmed. "I realized my place and where I was needed most. I also discovered how much I could care for you and what you represented to me."

"I find it hard to believe me almost killing you made you realize you should _care_ for me." Scott tried to keep the bitterness out of his voice, but it didn't work. He had spent months attempting to get Deucalion's acceptance before realizing himself how futile it was, how broken he had become. Maiming Deucalion should _not_ have brought out feelings of compassion for Scott. "Did you even think there was anything worth saving?" He remembered their first few months. His pack had slaughtered countless others and he'd been cruel to even his own, Deucalion especially.

"Of course." Something that was almost a smile came to the man's face. "You may have discarded your humanity, but you kept it close to you."

It took a second for Scott to realize what he was talking about. "You mean Derek?"

"You never once hurt him. That knowledge, as well as your own determination and stubbornness to be...better. It was all the hope I needed to start reaching out to you. I didn't mind as much when you lashed out after that. In some way, the physical pain you unleashed upon me felt like retribution, like I was paying for my sins."

"That's a drastically unhealthy way to look at how I abused you," Scott said bluntly. "B-but I think I understand." He looked at his hands. "The more of everybody's pain I took on, even though I felt like I was breaking, it also felt...appropriate? I dunno, I was pretty out it of. I just didn't want anyone to die."

"And no one did."

Scott rubbed at his chest gingerly. "And now I feel hollow."

"I felt like that too," Deucalion agreed, "once I realized what I'd done to you and to myself. Sometimes I still feel like that."

Scott went over the past several years again in his mind, conclusion unchanging. "It doesn't matter in the end _how_ I came to be like this, I shouldn't be forgiven for my actions. They were mine, not yours. No matter what you say I still did all those horrible things, I killed so many people."

"Then I can't be forgiven either," Deucalion argued.

"But I hurt you. Y-you paid your price." It was a weak argument.

"And I hurt you. Scott—Alpha, there is no winner in this competition. We both lost our way and wounded countless people in the process. Destroying lives with actions that cannot be taken back, but that doesn't have to mean it's over."

Scott took another moment to come to terms with the emptiness inside himself. It didn't bother him much, there were no dark thoughts to suppress nor anger to make him lash out. Perhaps hollow was the wrong word.

_You are not alone._

Scott blinked again as his world blurred and chest burned. He was still crying; tears falling even faster than before. He scrubbed a hand across his face and tried to stop. Stupid; he had been so _stupid_. The answer had been right in front of him this entire time. Deucalion had said those words to him before, why did he only now realize it?

"Sc—" Deucalion stopped suddenly, face torn with conflicted emotions of worry, but fear of reacting. Wolves were partial to physically comforting others and it had to hurt to deny that instinct, but Scott had been the one to beat that into him. He had to change that; _he_ had to change.

"You can call me Scott," he said.

"You—you don't mind?" Deucalion's voice was small. "You're the alpha, it's in your right."

Scott shot up from the bed. "Am I?"

"Of course, you're—"

"No, but," Scott touched his chest, "I think I gave too much." Deucalion stilled next to him. "My blood literally turned black. I—I don't think I'm an alpha anymore."

"No, you are. You have to be." The older wolf gripped Scott's arm tight. "Scott, turn. Try it now, please."

Scott paused, not wanting to shift. Derek had told him what had happened to Cora, how in order to save her life he would have given everything and lost his alpha status. Of course, since Peter had been telling Derek to do it the older boy hadn't believed him and she had died. Scott healed five wolves, three from the brink of death. The very fact that he was alive was miraculous.

"I was able to heal," he whispered. "I thought I couldn't, but I did. Don't you think that's enough? The fact I can still take away other's pain. You told me—"

"I assumed, but I was wrong. You're no demon wolf, you're nothing like me." Deucalion seemed to realize he was touching Scott and quickly let go. Scott looked at his arm, it felt cold now. He hadn't really minded Deucalion's touch. "Please, just let me see your eyes."

"Why is it so important to you? It would be better if I wasn't an alpha anymore."

"No, you need to be."

"I think you're wrong. Power only made me—" Deucalion cut him off by leaning forward and clamping his mouth around Scott's neck. It was more of a nip, not even breaking the skin, but all of Scott's instincts kicked in. For a second all he knew was red as his eyes turned a deep crimson. He felt as his teeth sank into the soft flesh of Deucalion's neck and the tang of blood splashed across his tongue. When he came back to himself, he'd somehow grabbed Deucalion and twisted them around so the man was underneath him on the hospital bed. Scott immediately pulled back, fangs disappearing and a hand flying to cover his mouth.

"I-I'm so sorry." But the older wolf only looked relieved, panting lightly from where he lay, and readjusting his glasses from their skewed state. Scott dropped his hand, confused. "But I don't understand..."

"You're a true alpha, Scott." Deucalion sat up, buttoned shirt torn at the collar exposing his neck, jacket laying askew on his shoulders. Deucalion's disheveled state distracted Scott once again and he felt heat rise to his cheeks as the man underneath him licked his lips. "Your power comes from yourself, therefore, I-I think you generate your own spark. The rest of us are dependent on the power we stole from another. It's just a guess, though."

"I—" Scott was at a loss. He'd been fully prepared to die. He had no plan anymore, didn't know what to do next. "How do you keep going? What do I do now?" He sounded like such a child. "Can I even make up for what I've done?"

"Scott..." He could sense Deucalion's want to touch him, to try and comfort in whatever way he could. "Scott, I don't know if redemption is something that can be obtained or given or earned, I don't have that answer, but I think it's worth trying. You have to start somewhere. Saving your entire pack isn't a bad place to start you...you did this—_you_."

"I-I just—_god_. Is that enough?" Scott choked out, not meeting the other's hidden gaze. "I don't know what to do."

"Scott," Deucalion's hand brushed across his own, voice low and earnest, "look at me."

"Why?"

"Please." Scott glanced up, surprised when the older man reached up to take off his glasses.

"D-did they heal alright? Your eyes, I just didn't want you to have to be completely blind when you were recovering." Deucalion gave a sad smile.

"I told you, remember? I destroyed you, while you _healed_ me—" He removed the dark shades and Scott was met with not red, or even a milky color, but piercing blue eyes, overly bright and a little wet, reflecting too many emotions. The young man gaped, his mind taking a second to catch up.

"You can see." Stating the painfully obvious was something he hadn't done in a long time, but he couldn't get much else out. Scott reached up without thought and ran his fingers lightly over the other's face. "What happened? _How_ did this happen?"

"You." Deucalion leaned into his touch.

"I did that?" Scott frowned. "I don't think that's possible. When we take away pain all we're doing is speeding up the natural healing process. N-nothing like this."

"You've always been special." Deucalion leaned harder until Scott cupped his cheek. His hands dropped to dig into the white sheets of the bed. "But I was shocked too, if it helps."

"I did this?" Scott tried to blink away his own tears. "I healed you?"

"In more ways than one."

Scott felt the weight of those words settle over him. This time it felt good, like it was holding him down, keeping him grounded. Not suffocating like the darkness had been but sturdy and safe. He felt something fill his hollow chest then, warm and fluttery. Scott felt his breathing grow short as he recognized the sensation.

"I'm not alone." It floored him and Scott felt a smile begin to form. "I'm _not_ alone," he whispered again. A low growl vibrated through his hand as Deucalion agreed, Scott still holding him, but his blue eyes wanting. Pain blossomed in Scott's chest and he ached for more, pulling Deucalion closer and bringing their lips together in a slow kiss. It was shy and uncertain, a brief brush of skin that felt like a jolt of electricity. Deucalion froze and Scott gasped, both their eyes meeting in the silence. Scott's heart hammered loudly in his ears and he swallowed thickly as he tried to keep his hand from shaking.

There were no more lies, no more darkness between them. Just what was right here.

Scott's eyes finally closed and he released a shaky breath, which spluttered as Deucalion's lips caressed his again. They were chapped and a little dry but Scott answered eagerly, happiness welling up in his chest. A small moan slipped out. Deucalion shuddered against him at that and melted completely into Scott, pressing against the young man urgently. It wasn't a battle for dominance, just reassurance and a desperate need to connect.

Scott took Deucalion's bottom lip in his teeth, biting down lightly and causing the man's jaw to go slack and his mouth to part. He made small noises that drove Scott wild as his tongue swept through Deucalion's mouth. A much louder growl came from Deucalion this time, ending in a small whine as his hands clenched in the sheets underneath them. Scott felt a pang of longing. He wanted intimacy and, for the first time in years, he could finally ask for it. He broke the kiss briefly. "Please, please touch me."

Deucalion paused for a moment as his eyes met Scott's again, sharp and searching as if he had just realized something. Without warning, the man grabbed Scott's lower back, pulling the young man flush against his body and renewed their kiss with a hunger, one hand sliding up along Scott's back while the other went lower. Scott yelped embarrassingly, having never been kissed in such a way before, with such devotion. He tried to hold on for as long as possible but the kiss felt so close to something more—something like _love_—and he let out a sob, burying his head in Deucalion's shoulder, overwhelmed and feeling truly safe for the first time in years.

Deucalion gripped him tight, his hands shaking as well as he leaned back against the headboard with Scott curled tight around him. The two stayed that way long into the night.

.

* * *

.

When Deucalion went out and fetched the rest of the pack, Derek practically threw himself at Scott, pressing their foreheads together so hard it almost hurt.

"I knew you'd pull through. You had to," the older boy breathed against him and ran his hands through Scott's hair. He let Derek scent him out, bringing him into a firm hug.

"Sorry to scare you," Scott said to the entire pack.

Kali huffed as she crossed her arms. "I wasn't worried. I knew as soon as you got some blood in you, your healing abilities would kick in. Honestly, Alpha, you shouldn't have spent so much energy in fixing us up, you would have been fine otherwise."

"That's Kali's way of thanking you," Ethan replied. Both twins hovered close to the door, faces apprehensive and cautious.

"Yeah, I know." Scott gave a small smile to ease their worry. "Thank you for your help. The others probably wouldn't have made it without you two."

"I-I don't know if I'd go that far." Aiden shifted his shoulders, uncomfortable at the praise. His eyes darted between Scott and the floor, heartbeat faster than normal as a blush rose to his face.

"You look different, Alpha," Ethan noted and took a small step inside.

"He almost died, of course he looks different," Kali pointed out but Derek frowned and studied Scott critically

"No, you do look a bit different."

"What I want to know is why we were even attacked in the first place," Kali inserted and both she and Derek glared at each other. Scott raised a hand and they quieted.

"I'll, uh, try to explain the best I can." And then spent the next hour going over his conversation with Akh. He didn't mention the part where he'd traveled back to the Between Realm the Nenetom ritual seemed to have tethered his soul to, but framed it as though it was part of the conversation he and Akh had before their fight. Deucalion chipped in, adding his support or expanding upon a fact.

His eyes met Scott's though, curiosity very clear in them. He had heard the actual conversation, and Scott knew he would have to explain himself later.

The pack took it as well as Scott expected them to.

"Right, he just happened to know _all_ this stuff off the top of his head?" Ethan's eye roll was impressive.

"His plan was moronic," Kali said. "Even if we suppose he's telling the truth, he sacrificed himself to '_save_' Scott while nearly killing everyone in the process, _including_ the boy he claimed to be rescuing!"

"What if we had died?" Derek's entire body was shaking in rage. "I doubt Scott would have simply been fine if his entire pack had been slaughtered. Trying to save you, my ass. He was a selfish dick."

"To be fair," Aiden said, "it _did_ work. The, um, 'darkness' in Scott seems gone. At least that's why I think everyone is perceiving you differently. Even your scent's a bit unusual."

"That might just be all the antiseptic," Scott said. His pack continued to squabble amongst themselves over the finer points of dark rituals and if Akh had been acting for a greater good or just been completely batshit crazy. Scott listened to it peacefully, enjoying the background noise of his wolves. He'd almost lost all of this. A pressing thought came to mind. "Uh," his head snapped up, "what happened with Akh's pack and the Urgent Care center? Are the authorities looking for suspects?"

"Oh that." Derek shook his head. "It's all good."

"That white wolf didn't return to human form," Kali explained. "People think it was a cult ritual. That Akh's pack were worshipers of the White Wolf legend and tried to bring a wolf into the city and it broke out, killing everyone. All the injuries point to an animal attack so they're not looking for human suspects. They're just worried there were two wolves and that the other is still on the loose. Because—"

"We're tourists and you were attacked by a runaway dog on your morning jog. Not the best story but they believed it anyways." Derek finished.

"Being able to pay for the hospital bill helped," Deucalion added.

"As for the Urgent Care center, we burned it down," Aiden said.

"_Wh-what?_" Scott tried to remain composed.

"We pulled the employees out!" Aiden hastily amended. "It's just that there was blood everywhere and it would have been impossible to clean up, so we just torched it. People think it was vandalized."

"So...we're good?" Scott asked.

"Yeah, it's all been taken care of." Derek put his hand on Scott's knee.

"As soon as you've healed, Alpha, we'll leave," Kali asserted.

"Where will we go then?" Ethan asked and Scott hung his head, unsure.

"I—" He still had no plans. Just to keep his pack safe, maybe finally settle somewhere. He was sick of violence.

"Perhaps back to America?" Deucalion suggested gently. "You've been away for quite awhile. Familiar landscapes might help?" Scott did miss their forests. While Europe's was beautiful in its own way, there was something about America's that felt comfortable and safe.

"Yeah." He nodded. "Just, maybe stick to the east coast for now. Don't know how safe the west coast is."

"Agreed."

"Think you guys could check me out of here?" Scott raised his arms, wincing but knowing his healing abilities would take care of that soon. "I kinda just wanna go back to the hotel and rest." His pack almost fell over themselves in their rush to accommodate his request. Derek called for the doctor.

It was much later in the day when Scott collapsed in his own bed at their hotel. Five star inns were really something else, one day he'd ask where Deucalion got all his money from. The young alpha curled deeper into the blankets, pausing when he heard Derek and Deucalion arguing by the door.

Deucalion clenched his jaw, eyes narrowed, barring the other man from coming in. "Derek, he's tired."

"You think I don't know?" Derek glared at him. "I don't want to talk to him, just comfort."

"You think that'll help?"

"Don't give me that, like I can't smell him all over you. He actually let you touch him, didn't he? Well, I've always had permission. Now it's my turn, he's my alpha as well. It's not like you two are mates."

At Deucalion's growl Scott swore loudly and silenced both wolves, flinching from their alpha's displeasure. The younger man could almost see them tuck their tails in at being caught quarrelling over him. "Derek can come in," Scott murmured. Derek pushed past Deucalion and made for Scott's bed, pulling off his shoes and socks on the way.

"You ok?" he asked, sliding in next to Scott.

"Just exhausted," Scott answered honestly, feeling Derek wrap an arm around his chest and pull the young man closer. Deucalion stepped over to his own bed and Scott could sense his hurt pride, but Derek had been right. He and Deucalion had spent awhile alone before the rest of the pack had been allowed in. "Thank you for understanding," he breathed out. Scott took a deep breath, filled with his pack-mate's scents, before drifting off to sleep.

Scott woke the next morning to the sound of water. He blinked and sat up, Derek still tucked close to him. The shower. Deucalion's bed was empty and Scott looked at the clock, noting it was only seven in the morning. He dragged himself out of bed, careful not to wake Derek and made for the bathroom.

"Is it alright if I come in?" Scott asked from the doorway.

"Oh—erm, yes. Of course." Deucalion pulled the shower curtain back, Scott's eyes immediately drawn up to his blue ones, still unused to them. The man made a motion to make room for him, but Scott sat down on the toilet seat.

"No, I just need to check my injuries." And he pointed to his bandages. Deucalion nodded briefly and Scott noticed the back of his neck turn red as he tried to busy himself with taking a shower again.

Scott smiled and unwrapped the gauze covering his arms with hesitant fingers, relieved to see only thin white lines running across his skin, the only evidence left from the deep gouges he originally had. Most people probably wouldn't even notice them. He moved to his chest, taking a deep breath and happy when he encountered no pain. Unfortunately his chest hadn't healed as well as his arms, rows of raised scars cut jagged across his torso, some crawling up past his collarbone close his neck and one long gash scraped over his hipbone. At least the lines were clean because of the stitches the doctors had given him. A human would have only have mottled skin left. Still...Scott rubbed a hand over the wound, sobering as he took in the disfigurement.

It's what he deserved.

A hand touched his arm and Scott jerked. Deucalion pulled back quickly, eyes wary. He had turned off the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist, bending down next to Scott. The young man had been so absorbed he hadn't noticed.

"S-sorry," Scott apologized, "you startled me, is all." He pointed at his ruined chest. "Didn't heal as well as I thought." His face fell as he touched the scars. "It'll take awhile to get used to."

"You're still beautiful," Deucalion assured him, hesitantly running a hand across Scott's chest. The teen felt his face flush.

"_Right_." Scott swiped at his nose in embarrassment, looking over at Deucalion's own scar branded into his shoulder. It always reminded him of a web, or shattered glass. "We all have our scars," he commented. Scott's eyes dropped to his bite mark on Deucalion's neck and he slowly traced it with his fingers. The older man underneath him gave a shudder, eyes flaring red.

"Some scars are worth it." Deucalion's voice was like gravel and Scott felt himself lean forward, fangs sliding out to claim what was his—

"Can I use the bathroom, please?" Derek asked from the door, leaning against the frame, eyes still full of sleep. Scott jumped back quickly as Deucalion groaned in frustration.

"Yeah, sure. Sorry, man." Scott hopped up and scooted away, making quickly for his bed. He was suddenly starving. Or maybe that was just nerves from the tension in the room.

Deucalion stood and walked out, growling threateningly at Derek who paid him no mind. Scott busied himself with getting dressed.

"I-I think I'm going to see if they've set breakfast out yet." Scott ignored the butterflies in his stomach as he pulled a shirt over his head. Deucalion sat back on his bed and gave an irritated sigh, his scent drenched in arousal. Scott glanced over, but the man's attention seemed focused inwards. Deucalion's skin was still damp, small droplets running down his chest. Scott's eyes followed and he felt his pulse quicken and turned away; yeah, maybe he was a little sexually frustrated too.

Scott slid out into the hallway and made his way down to the dining area, pressing the call button for the elevator. He looked down at his shoes, mind in turmoil. Finally, he was free from the darkness that had trapped him for so long inside his own body. His mind was released from the poisonous wrath that had choked him to the point of breaking. It felt amazing, if a little disconcerting. Like having too much space after getting used to a cage.

It had been such a long time since Scott had been himself that he felt like a stranger in his own body. He wanted intimacy and friendship again, but his social skills were appalling after years spent being a ruthless tyrant. He didn't know how to become the boy he had once been. Was it even possible?

The elevator dinged open and Scott stepped in, groaning as he tried to wrap his head around everything. The doors slid shut and Scott startled as an arm jammed it's way in at the last minute. Deucalion pulled the doors open, face flushed.

"Apologies. I just-I just wanted to catch up to you." He ambled in and Scott couldn't decide if this was better or worse than before. To say the silence was awkward would be an understatement.

"Is everything alright between you and Derek?" Scott winced. There had to be a better way of saying that.

"Of course," Deucalion said far too professionally. The younger wolf squinted and heard the other's heartbeat steady out as it always did when he lied.

"Do you realize," Scott started, "that your heartbeat has a natural quirk to it?"

"Does it?" Deucalion seemed genuinely surprised.

"Yeah, it gives an odd double beat occasionally. It's very distinctive. You probably can't feel it but I can pick it out easily now."

"Oh."

"Mmmhmm." Scott nodded. "It completely disappears when you steady your heartbeat during a lie, though."

"Ah." And Deucalion's heartbeat skyrocketed in panic and Scott had to bite back a smile. "Well, that's troublesome."

"For you." Scott reached over and pressed the emergency stop button. The man next to him tensed and he turned to face Deucalion. "I'm serious, are you and Derek going to keep at this?"

"It's a petty thing, Scott." Deucalion sighed, eyes averted. "And he and I both know it." Scott gazed harder, still unused to the blue eyes and really appreciating the color. He realized he probably was staring too hard when Deucalion bent his head lower to show his neck. The younger wolf stepped back quickly.

"Sorry," he apologized. "It's just, I'd rather you two not fight. You're both important to me."

"I understand." Yet Deucalion still wouldn't meet his eyes.

"Do you?" Scott's voice grew deep, a vein in the older wolf's neck twitched and Scott held back the urge to bite this time. "You don't look sure. Why are you two even fighting, I—" A thought hit Scott and he stopped. Deucalion's eyes finally snapped up to his, blue meeting brown. "It's because of this, right?" Scott gestured between the two of them. "This...whatever we have. Yeah?"

"I told you, it's petty."

"It's because I've changed?" He didn't mean for it to sound bitter, but that's how the words came out.

"No—yes." Deucalion gave up lying and drew closer to the young man. "Yes, I'm sorry. I just, you're vulnerable and my instinct says to protect, even from the rest of the pack."

"You sure that's it?" Scott wasn't backing down.

"No, it's more." Deucalion's scent changed as he said the words. He tilted his head more, neck exposed in his collared shirt. "Am I still yours?" He sounded so unsure that Scott blinked, confused.

"Why would that have changed?" he asked.

"Because _you_ have," Deucalion emphasized and the muscles in his neck tensed. "Who you were before...that boy I first met, he wouldn't have—"

"But I'm not him," Scott interrupted. "Too much time has passed and even without the darkness I'm not that boy anymore. The Scott McCall you first met died that night, I can't ever be him again. I just have to start over, I think." He hadn't given it too much thought, mainly because he'd had no time as of yet, but the words felt right.

"I understand." This time Deucalion did sound like it, but his face was closed off.

"But..." Scott prompted.

"Do you need to start over with everything?" They both knew what 'everything' entailed. Scott knew his answer.

"Definitely." He grabbed the older man's shirt and pulled him in for a fervent kiss, lips crashing against each others. Deucalion froze only for an instant before returning the kiss with an urgent desperation, hands immediately going to Scott's back before clenching the fabric of his shirt. Scott pushed him against the elevator wall, swiping his tongue over chapped lips and Deucalion opened his mouth with a long moan. They battled for a moment, lost to passion, but control was surrendered to Scott almost instantly and he ravaged the man underneath him.

Deucalion pushed back, eager as a low growl slipped from him and he slid his hands down to Scott's hips, rolling them closer together and grinding against the younger man. Scott gasped as he felt the heat spark between them and let out a whine. Deucalion shuddered against him at the noise. Scott brought his hand up to cup the back of the Deucalion's head, running his fingers through coarse hair, and tilting it to get better access to his mouth. They kissed like that for several minutes until Scott had to pull back for air, panting. Deucalion put his head on Scott's shoulder breathing just as hard, eyes overly bright.

"If this is going to work," Scott whispered, "then yeah, we have to start over. Is that ok?"

"Yes, quite." Deucalion's breath tickled his collarbone and Scott dipped his head to brush his teeth against the other wolf's neck. The man underneath trembled and let out a whine. "I'm yours still?"

Scott rubbed a finger at the bite mark. "That's up to you now."

Scott was asking now, not demanding or forcing Deucalion to submit. It was entirely up to him and the older man knew it.

"_I want this_." It sounded like a prayer. A willful and eager prayer as Deucalion's eyes met Scott's, clear and knowing exactly what he had said. He was trembling, Scott felt it through his body, his knees especially. Scott's own blood pounded through his body, Deucalion wanted to kneel, wanted to be under Scott as he claimed him. Heat and desire coiled tightly in Scott's stomach as he took in a ragged breath. The air was thick with the spice of Deucalion's scent.

Scott's fangs slid out on their own accord, his eyes a dark red and Deucalion stretched his neck in anticipation. A whine slipped from him and Scott pulled back suddenly and he resisted biting down. "There's a camera in here." He paused. "Later, then."

They pulled apart, although it was very reluctantly. Scott released the elevator and it continued its path downwards. He scented the air and realized it smelled like lust and his face started to burn.

"Are you...?" Deucalion shot him a look. The doors dinged open and Scott hopped off.

"We got a bit carried away," he admitted and scratched the back of his head, hoping no one would go into the elevator for awhile. Even humans could smell pheromones that strong in the air.

"Did we?" And the older man quirked an eyebrow. Scott blinked, unaware Deucalion had the ability to sass. The younger man quickly looked away, blush intensifying. By the time they got to the breakfast buffet, Scott wasn't too hungry any more. At least not for food.


	9. Chapter 9

Time passed and though the wounds Akh had given to Scott healed quickly, the psychological scars of his own darkness stayed deeply etched in his mind. He kept himself indoors most days, mind almost lethargic in its freedom and unsure of what to do, simply staring into the sky from his window and watching the world pass by. Deucalion and Derek stayed close to him, the entire pack retreated upon itself in his weakness and stopped going out, guarding their alpha.

Deucalion had them leave Africa as quickly as possible. They took a plane back to the states and landed somewhere in Michigan, heading north until they located a mid-sized town and settled down. Scott was hesitant to do much more, waiting until he got a grasp on the supernatural activity and hunter movements in the east and west coasts. His uncertainty echoed through the rest of the pack; Kali became restless, the twins nervous, Derek edgy, and Deucalion over-protective. It was a bad state of mind to be in and Scott found himself pacing most days, nauseously thinking of all the possible ways everything could go wrong.

For Scott the whole process was unsettling and strange. He was trying to find himself again, that young man he had been before. The person who put his friends first, who bore the responsibility of other lives seemingly easily, the boy who played games with monsters that looked human and _won_. Scott McCall who ran like the wind during lacrosse games, who inhaled knowledge as quickly as possible, who had outmaneuvered Gerard and defeated Peter. He desperately wished to find that boy again.

But...the strain of his isolation took a toll on the pack. They smothered him in their concern and Scott didn't know how to react anymore. Deucalion rarely left his side and the others were always close by—Derek constantly brought Scott food, to the point where just the smell of it made Scott throw up. Kali had become more aggressive and had started to assert her authority over the twins, aggravating Deucalion and straining tensions further.

Scott _needed_ to be alone.

They couldn't understand. How could they? Scott didn't even know how to put into words what he was feeling. The darkness was gone, but in its place a kernel of guilt grew. When Scott was around his pack he could only think of his past deeds and the monster he had become while leading them. Sometimes, when he looked at Deucalion, all Scott could think about was how much he'd hurt the other, of how much pain he had caused and the sound of his screams.

In those moments, Scott knew he'd deserved to die.

Deucalion was going through his own issues, readjusting to having his sight again after more than ten years of living in darkness. Most of the times he was with Scott they would sit in silence, both wrapped up in their own thoughts, and Deucalion would simply stare at people or streets, at books or the crappy wallpaper in their room, at his hands or Scott...mostly Scott. He would forget to blink and still seemed unused to sunlight, having worn his glasses near constantly.

One morning when Scott came out of the shower, mind not particularly focused on anything, he'd nearly had a heart attack at finding Deucalion sitting on his bed crying, one of Scott's books in his hands. He'd been so startled and confused Scott had thought they were under attack, or something horrible had happened until Deucalion explained otherwise. It was the first time he had read a book by sight in over a decade.

He'd been in such an emotional state it had pulled Scott out of his own misery and the day had been spent listening to Deucalion read to him, feeling content for a few hours. There were so many things Scott didn't know about Deucalion, and he wasn't sure exactly what the man was going through, being given back a sense that had been deprived of him for so long. So Scott let Deucalion relearn at his own pace, unsure of how to help anyways.

More important than anything, Scott needed to keep his authority. His pack was suffering because he was a weak alpha right now and, regardless of position, his status would be challenged soon. It was only natural and meant to keep the pack strong. The weak could not be allowed to rule. Scott had noticed Kali's restlessness, had sensed her eyes on him constantly. She was lashing out right now at their omega's because it was safe and could be done without too many repercussions (Deucalion would only take so much before defending the twins from her), but she would eventually aim for a higher target. Scott had to get himself under control soon and be commanding, but without resorting to cruelty like last time.

The only wolf he could think of who had managed that was Talia, but his situation was hardly similar.

"What type of alpha was Talia?" Scott asked Deucalion early one morning, having woken from a nightmare. The sun hadn't even risen yet. They were both still in their separate beds, but whenever Scott awoke so did Deucalion.

"Why not ask Derek?" There was no jealousy in his voice, only genuine interest.

"She was also his mother, it's different."

"And that's where you're wrong," Deucalion chuckled. "Talia handled her parental duties the same way she did her alpha ones. It was a strength although...it may have hurt her family more than she realized, in the long run. It's hard to say."

"Do you want me to ask Derek instead?" Scott asked.

"No, it's fine." Deucalion cut him off quickly. "I was simply curious. She..." He paused and seemed to be considering. "She was very calculated, always weighing and judging her options and the people around her. There was never a rash decision. She was strong, amazingly strong. Graceful. If there was something she wanted, she took it. She knew what she liked and what she didn't. To be fair, she was on a completely different level than other alphas."

Scott blinked. "Did you love her?" He watched as the older wolf's features twisted, looking pained and regretful.

"Yes."

Scott's mind continued to process the information. "You loved _Derek's_ mom..."

"She already had a mate, I never entertained any illusions."

"You still sound bitter."

"Only in the cowardly way she was taken, not in her mate. He was a good man, very understanding of our ways, for a human."

"Wait—wolves can have a human become their mate?" Scott asked, although it suddenly made sense why Derek had said his family had been a mixture of wolves and humans.

"Of course. Some more mainstream packs even insist upon it. Humans are spared the heat and a few other things that wolves have a weakness to, but there are, of course, downsides as well." Deucalion's eyes met Scott's. "In the end, what I felt for her didn't—doesn't matter." The older man's breathing evened out and Scott could feel the other studying him. "Why is this so important? You are your own alpha."

"No longer a good alpha." Scott huffed. "Pretty sure Kali's gonna attack me soon." Deucalion stayed quiet and it confirmed Scott's suspicion.

"Her claws would never reach you."

"Because of you?"

"Yes." His voice was dark. "I told you I would protect you from the rest of the pack if need be. Adjusting from light to darkness is easy, I've found the other way around is much harder. You simply need time. It might not feel like it, but you _will_ find your footing again as an alpha. Until then, I will deal with the others."

It was almost an afterthought, but it came to Scott nonetheless. "You make a really good beta." The other wolf was still in the bed next to his.

"I am yours," Deucalion responded as if that were an answer. Scott suddenly felt cold and shivered, pulling the comforter up more. He wanted...Scott sat up and swept the covers back, his heart pounding. Deucalion tensed. "I—" He jerked up as Scott swung his legs over the bed and stood, stepping to the other man's bed and sinking down.

"This okay?" he asked Deucalion, the wolf mutely nodded, eyes wide. Scott slid underneath the covers and laid down next to him, not touching, but closer than they'd been in awhile. It was only the second time the two had shared a bed.

"You..." Deucalion truly seemed lost for words, although his heart was racing to match Scott's and his scent had changed. "Yes." He didn't move closer, as if afraid to break what was happening. Scott reminded himself that he was the alpha and had to make the dominate moves. The young man scooted closer, reaching a hand out and brushing across the other's bare body underneath the covers. He met taunt muscles that quivered where he touched.

"If I'm making you uncomfortable..." Scott trailed off, but left his hand where it was. His fingers tapped lightly against Deucalion's lower abdomen, smile pulling at his face.

Deucalion blew out a harsh breath. "No, definitely _not_—I just, I haven't pushed because I wanted to wait until you were ready. You haven't been in the best mindset..."

Scott sighed "I know. But you've wanted this for a long time." The older wolf didn't answer, but he didn't have to. His body said enough. The younger alpha pushed away any lingering doubts and moved quickly, rolling on top of Deucalion and straddling him. The effect was instantaneous, Scott could feel Deucalion grow hard against him and the man's strangled gasp became a low moan. He bucked up against Scott, fingers clenched in the sheets.

"Scott—" Deucalion cut himself off as said young werewolf ground his hips down against the other. "Yes! God, yes I've wanted this—_you_ since we kissed." Scott grabbed the man's wrists and pinned them above his head with one hand, leaning down and ghosting his breath across rigid nipples.

"I've denied you for too long." His voice dropped an octave. "Sorry, I'll fix that now." He latched on to one of the raised nubs and sucked hard, Deucalion buckling underneath him at the feeling, as Scott swirled his tongue around, nipping and playing until the skin turned red and oversensitive. He pulled an erect nipple in his teeth and drew the flesh up until he could see Deucalion teeter between pain and pleasure. He clenched harder, until the man underneath him started moaning, before releasing the nub and watched as it became flushed, glistening with his saliva. Scott tweaked the other with his finger, nail flicking and scraping against the delicate skin. He admired the swollen red flesh, scratching across both nipples and grinned as Deucalion growled in pleasure at the pain. Scott licked both in an apology, dragging his tongue slowly and eliciting a harsh whine from the man underneath him. His arms strained against Scott's hand, but the young alpha held firm.

An endless litany of begging and encouragement from Deucalion kept Scott going, certain he wasn't causing unwanted pain in his partner. It was so freeing, to be able to do so without battling horrible, violent urges from the darkness. Scott almost lost himself in pleasuring Deucalion, so happy to be able to worship the body beneath him.

As Scott continued his oral ministrations, mouthing at solid muscle and trembling flesh, his free hand slid lower and ran down hard stomach muscles, scratching lightly and twirling in circles, refusing to go lower. Deucalion gasped for breath, choking out a frustrated groan, back arched sharply in pleasure as he strained to get more friction. Scott teased more, trailing his tongue down until he was kissing the rough bronze curls nestled between Deucalion's legs, ignoring the trembling erection next to his face. He looked up and met the other man's eyes, bright red, and Scott carefully brushed lips across the head of his cock and heard as Deucalion made a broken sound, hips jolting up and Scott was forced to pull back.

"I could keep playing with you like this," he purred, a feeling of playfulness coming out of nowhere. Happy? Was this what it felt like? He ran a finger across a dusky nipple. Deucalion's breath came out ragged and his hips jerked involuntarily, almost too sensitive after all of the rough stimulation. His crimson eyes had started to glow, arousal peaking. "Unless it's too much?" Their gazes finally met and Scott only saw longing in the other's face, barely restrained and on the brink of collapsing. It hit Scott hard in the gut and he felt his own erection tighten in wanting.

"I _need_ you." The words sounded ripped from Deucalion's throat, as if he could barely string together the sentence and Scott couldn't tell if that was an answer or not. "_Alpha_." The raw desire laced through that deep voice nearly sent him over the edge and Scott's breath caught in his throat. The primal part of his mind fervent to claim a wanting submissive.

"_Deucalion_—" The man moaned at his name, but Scott cut him off with a searing kiss, lips crashing down and dominating. Messy and more teeth than anything else, but the wolf underneath groaned loudly and licked greedily at Scott's mouth. Scott used his free hand to grip the other's hair and pulled back. His vision flickered and reddened with power, his beta whined at the display. "_Mine_," Scott growled and sunk his fangs in deep into the offered neck.

"Scott—_fuck!_" Deucalion cried, apparently unprepared to be claimed just then and he shuddered, writhing underneath the younger man. For once there was no pain in Deucalion's voice, only overwhelming pleasure as he tried to pull himself back from the brink of orgasm.

This is what Scott craved now.

He clamped down further and the older wolf gritted his teeth and held back another scream, his cock leaking steadily and twitching against Scott's stomach. The young man realized that this was the first time he'd truly claimed Deucalion as his since the whole ordeal with the white wolf. Since he had changed.

"_Scott please, if you keep biting I'll_—" Scott got the message and unclenched his jaw. Deucalion drew a ragged breath, so close to orgasm that he couldn't stop shaking. He gave a low whine and Scott moved back up to ravish Deucalion's mouth, slow and sensual, pulling him back from the brink.

"Still mine. Always mine," he reassured his beta.

"_Yes_," the man murmured against Scott's skin as his body calmed down. The younger alpha ran his hand through the other's hair, relishing in the feeling. He finally pulled back slightly, hand sliding lower before brushing against Deucalion's neglected cock. The older man inhaled sharply but nodded, biting his lip in anticipation. Scott stared, entranced and licked his own lips in response, before firmly stroking the man below him, tight and measured. Deucalion's body spasmmed and his breath shorted out, arms pulling again against Scott's restraining hand.

The younger man curled his fingers and started to massage the burning erection, rubbing two fingers across the head, playing with the slit, and smearing the come dribbling out over his hand. His rhythm deliberately slow with enough force to make Deucalion squirm and pant, but just on the edge of what he needed to find release. His hand moved at a tortuous pace as Scott increased his pressure, fingers like a vice as they dragged up. Scott dipped his head, delving his tongue past the other's lips, but Deucalion was too far gone to return the gesture, barely able to whimper and moan as Scott's hand and tongue engulfed him.

With every strong stroke, Scott could feel Deucalion draw closer, every pull wringing more come, every twist of his fingers pushing the man closer to the brink. Scott slid his hand lower and pushed a finger against Deucalion's entrance, causing the older wolf to cry out into his mouth. His hips stuttered up, demanding more and rubbing against Scott's erection. He yelped and jerked back, having forgotten about his own needs. The moment temporarily broken, Scott took a calming breath as Deucalion gasped for air underneath, body drenched in sweat and muscles trembling.

Scott knew he'd always been on the wrong side of pain for Deucalion, pushing just past his limit for pleasure. On the right side, though, he had the older man whimpering and begging with need, cock hard and leaking against his thigh as Scott played his body perfectly.

"Y-you good to keep going?" Scott felt like he needed to ask, just because he'd never done so before. Deucalion gave him an incredulous look, gesturing with his eyes down to his throbbing erection, that Scott had to chuckle a little. He released Deucalion's arms so he could run his hands down the other's body, letting himself admire everything. "I always want you like this," he admitted and Deucalion tilted his head back, a tight noise coming from his throat and he groaned in agreement.

"I prefer you like this, too." Deucalion let one hand trail up to Scott's neck, cupping the back of his head and Scott blinked quickly as a warm feeling made its way through his chest. "Kind, eager, loving." Deucalion's voice was so rough in his arousal it was a bit distracting, but the honesty in it made Scott take a shuddering breath so he didn't start crying and ruin everything.

He slid his hands lower until they reached Deucalion's inner thighs, where he scratched his fingers lightly. Deucalion tried to continue, Scott saw the sincerity in his eyes. He wanted to comfort Scott, be there for him in more than a sexual manner, but at Scott's touch his careful control snapped and the moan he gave was so guttural and filthy that it sent Scott's blood rushing.

Hormones took over and clouded everything. His beta needed him. Scott growled and grabbed Deucalion's legs, throwing them around his waist, where they immediately wrapped tight and pulled the young man closer. He reached out blindly for the nightstand drawer, where the lube was and squirted out more than necessary in his haste.

His fingers found the man's entrance and he pushed two in without hesitation, scissoring and twisting within the heat. Deucalion growled and thrust his hips forward, silently asking for more. His growl choked off as Scott found his prostrate and dragged a blunt nail across it, the man nearly howled as his body convulsed, precome squirting from his cock. The younger alpha yelped as he suddenly found Deucalion in his arms, sitting in his lap as he fucked himself on Scott's fingers.

Scott wrapped his free hand around the other's back to steady him, then realized how intimate their position was. Deucalion's head was buried in the teen's neck and Scott could feel his hot breath across his chest as the man panted with need, keening every time Scott pushed against his spot, his arms clutching Scott's back and legs wrapped tightly around his waist. Scott licked at his bite mark on the other and Deucalion whimpered, body shuddering and Scott knew the other was getting close.

"Not yet," Deucalion whispered in his ear, as if reading Scott's mind. "Can't yet, need you—_want_ you inside of me. _Please_."

Scott finally moaned, Deucalion's words more powerful than his touch, and the young man wanted to come just from that. He withdrew his fingers and lined himself up. Lifting his hips to accommodate the other, he bit his lip as Scott slowly pushed in. The younger alpha watched as Deucalion slowly descended down on his length, filling him up inch by inch. Scott gasped as he was completely surrounded by Deucalion. He reached out and pulled his partner closer, feeling Deucalion tense around him and try to adjust.

"Tell me when you're ready," he whispered into the man's ear, nipping at the lobe. Deucalion's breath came out ragged and his arms tensed around Scott's back.

"Y-you don't have to wait—" the older wolf grunted, voice hitching as Scott shifted his hips.

"Yeah, I do." Scott peppered kisses along the man's jaw line. "I don't want to hurt you. I never want to hurt you again." Deucalion's back arched at his words, whining as he pressed his head against Scott's shoulder.

"_Scott_..." His voice was ruined with lust. "I-I meant, you don't have to wait because I—" He stuttered off, voice breaking with want and frustration and he slammed himself down on Scott, making the younger man see stars. Scott clenched down on the other's hips to stop him from doing that again as he waited for his head to clear, so close to coming it was painful to hold back. Deucalion didn't make things easier by whining and licking at Scott's neck.

"I-I can't go fast and hard," Scott admitted, "not in this position, b-but I like it. Being this close to you."

"Do whatever you want just _move_," Deucalion breathed against him, begging clear in his voice and Scott's hips shifted on their own accord, snapping up and setting a medium pace. Deucalion met him thrust for thrust, thigh muscles straining and using his position to make sure Scott hit his prostrate every time, whimpering into the young alpha's neck. Scott grinned as he took a hold of the man's erection and started stroking in time with their movements, swiping across the head and squeezing more precome for the tip. Deucalion nearly collapsed from the sensation, dropping hard against Scott as his legs started to tremble, using the distraction to speed up the pace, hammering hard against the other wolf and using all his strength to keep it up.

Deucalion moaned as Scott finally pounded into him, claws sliding out as he got closer. Pulling his alpha in for a powerful kiss, Deucalion left the young man breathless, balls clenching as he nearly hit the edge. Scott growled and surged forward, pinning Deucalion back down against the bed, grabbing his hips and using the new position to drive mercilessly into the other. The older wolf held nothing back, gritting his teeth trying to contain a scream as his hands clenched uselessly against Scott's back and his body thrashed in ecstasy. Scott used the last of his brain power and leaned forward, sinking his teeth deep into his beta's neck again and growling.

This time Deucalion did scream, come shooting so hard it splattered against his and Scott's chest. The younger man rode him through it all, freeing a hand so he could work the other's cock as it shuddered and milked him for everything he had. Only when he'd seen that Deucalion was thoroughly pleasured did Scott let himself release, crying out and falling against the older man's chest when he was done.

For several minutes both lay gasping for breath. Scott could feel tremors still running through Deucalion's body as the other tried to calm himself down, heart hammering against his ribcage. Scott dragged himself up so he was level with Deucalion, trailing his fingers across the man's features, and settled at his side.

"Worth the wait?" he asked, surprised at how rough his voice was. Deucalion huffed out a laugh then his eyes met Scott's.

"You've _no_ idea." He pulled Scott in for another kiss, simple and chaste, but the young man drank it in. They parted and Deucalion nuzzled against Scott's neck, scenting him out and Scott quirked an eyebrow.

"I'm probably drenched in your scent right now, so what're you doing that for?"

"I just...never thought you'd let me get this close," Deucalion answered softly. "Making sure this is real, is all." He stretched his neck out as he licked a long path across Scott's collarbone and the younger man's eyes drifted downwards.

"I like you wearing my mark." That slipped out unintended, but the blush and smile Scott got from the other was worth it. Deucalion unconsciously touched said bite mark gracing his skin and closed his eyes.

"I'm yours," he whispered and something hot and tight welled up in Scott's chest. He dragged Deucalion down for another kiss, falling asleep to feather light touches and soothing lips.

.

* * *

.

Scott woke, feeling like he was being pulled from a thick haze. Warmth surrounded him and he felt secure, protected. He opened his eyes to strong arms gripping tight across his chest and a faint breath tickling the back of his neck.

Scott contemplated their conversation earlier that day, reflecting on Deucalion's words of adjusting from dark to light, of taking time to find his footing as an alpha again. His beta might be confident about it, but Scott wasn't. The worry gnawed at him, probably stopping any real progress he might make to rediscover himself. Kali would eventually strike, it was in her nature and it was the right thing to do, a weak alpha could not lead this pack.

Not only was he weak, but his past sins—

"You're upset." Deucalion stirred next to him and licked gently at Scott's neck. "You needn't be, I'm here."

"I know," Scott replied, not mentioning that Deucalion was the focus for most of his guilt. "I'll get through this, my nerves are just getting the best of me." He sat up and pushed away his thoughts. Deucalion's arm fell back to curl around his waist and Scott chuckled. "Now that I'm letting you touch me, you're never letting go, are you?"

"Not likely." Deucalion agreed and pulled Scott closer to him. Scott ran a hand through the other's hair, enjoying the coarseness. He repeated the action again and smirked as Deucalion's eyes fell closed and he leaned into the touch, a deep growl that sounded close to a purr emanating from his chest. Scott's ears suddenly perked as the sounds of voices and dishes filtered through the walls.

"Everyone else is up," he commented and pulled away, standing up and looking for his clothes.

"We could stay in here for awhile longer," Deucalion suggested, watching Scott move around the room. The younger man paused in his actions and glanced over his shoulder with a shrewd grin.

"Possessive much?" he asked and directed his gaze to the bite mark gracing his beta's neck. Deucalion's eyes darkened with want.

"Have I ever not wanted you for myself?"

Scott thought back. "Good point." He found his jeans and shrugged them on. "Well, _I _want breakfast, but you're welcome to stay in here for as long as you like." The old wolf huffed and made Scott smile wider. He grabbed his red hoodie and zipped it up, unsurprised when Deucalion rolled out of bed and followed him, searching for his own clothes. "Aren't you going to shower?" Scott asked, referencing their actions earlier that morning.

"I hadn't planned on it yet," Deucalion replied, unconcerned. Scott turned around and tried to keep his heartbeat steady and laughter silent, knowing exactly what this was. He was still wearing both Scott's marks across his body, the bite mark and his scent of sex. The wolf equivalent of showing off to the rest of the pack.

"Alright, but be nice to Derek. Don't start anything." Scott warned as they both headed downstairs. Aiden was at the counter, poking at something in the microwave, while the others were all gathered around the table drinking the coffee that was out. Kali immediately looked up.

"You two got fucking busy this morning."

Deucalion made a beeline for the fridge and ignored her as Derek sent him a calculated glance.

Scott yawned and stretched his arms. "Busy fucking, you mean." Ethan spit out his juice and started coughing. Kali burst out laughing and Scott was surprised at how easily the statement had come out, he hadn't even thought twice about how to deflect her. Deucalion sat down at the table and Scott didn't miss how red the back of his neck was. The older wolf might have wanted to show off he was still Scott's, but the younger man knew he'd been trying to do it a bit more discreetly. Yeah right, not with _this_ pack.

Scott moved towards the counter and started pulling out supplies for breakfast, having learned long ago he was the only one who could actually cook. Aiden sighed and gave up with whatever he'd been trying to heat up and threw it in the trash, looking hopefully at Scott. "I'll make enough for everyone." The younger alpha sighed and Aiden went back to the table where Kali was still snickering.

"If I'd known you two would be so noisy I wouldn't have picked the room next to yours." She gave a leer at Deucalion and he bared his teeth back at her. "I can't have been the only one to hear?"

"You weren't," Derek said darkly and Scott rolled his eyes. He busied himself with cracking eggs and cutting up sausage. "Was it really necessary to drench yourself in his scent before coming down?"

"Depends," Deucalion answered with deadly calm, "does it bother you much?" Both wolves started growling and Scott wanted to bang his head against the counter.

He sighed. "_What_ did I say?" Deucalion turned his head away and started pouring coffee, his neck going red again at Scott's displeasure. Derek continued glaring and Scott knew the issue was going to keep coming up. He threw the sausages and eggs into the frying pan and turned his mind back to cooking.

"Do you need help, Alpha?" Ethan asked, probably sick of the tension at the table. Despite Scott having given his permission for the pack to use his real name, Aiden and Ethan continued to call him by his title. Deucalion had explained it was due to them having the lowest standing in the pack, alpha-omegas to put simply. It made sense, Scott supposed.

"Yeah Ethan," he replied, "there should be some sliced fruit in the fridge if you want to get it out." The other boy sprung up and ran to do it. Scott stirred at the food that was starting to sizzle, adding some pepper and ground spices.

Kali chuckled. "So domesticated."

"Look who's talking," Scott replied easily, "when's the last time you killed someone? You've gone soft." Aiden and Ethan both made '_ooooh_' sounds behind him.

Kali raised an eyebrow. "Someone's feisty today." Scott shrugged and dumped the egg and sausage blend into a serving bowl. "Guess that wildly loud sex was good for something."

"Kali..." Deucalion rubbed the bridge of his nose. Scott sat next to him and placed the bowl down, serving himself first since he knew his pack wouldn't touch the food until he had. As soon as he finished, the rest of the group served themselves, Aiden and Ethan going last and arguing over portion sizes. Scott cast a careful eye over Derek, but the older boy wouldn't meet his eyes, instead continuing to glower at Deucalion, who steadily met him. Something had to give soon.

"You know what? I've changed my mind," Scott stated matter-of-factly as his two betas glared daggers at each other. "You two _can_ fight."

"_What?_"

"Excuse, me?"

Both men jerked and stared at the young alpha. Kali, Aiden, and Ethan's heads all snapped up and they suddenly looked incredibly interested in the conversation.

"Yeah, go at it." Scott waved a hand and speared the food on his plate with a fork. "But for entertainment value, can you both be naked while doing so?" Aiden rolled his eyes and went back to breakfast with a mutter. Ethan and Kali continued avidly staring. Scott had the satisfaction of seeing both men turn a bright red and mumble apologies before busying themselves with food. The young alpha gave a large smile. "Thought so."

It was later in the day that Scott found himself alone in the house. The twins having gone to their day job, this time at a boating company, while Kali was out doing whatever she normally did during the days. Derek had taken up volunteering at a local animal shelter, which Scott found kind of adorable, and Deucalion had left on a rare errand run. They were almost completely out of food and shopping could not be put off any longer. Though the older wolf was loath to leave Scott, he had assured his beta he could survive an hour without him.

Scott set his book down, taking a deep breath of morning air. He had taken to reading up on the roof and although Michigan had bitterly cold mornings, the young wolf found he didn't mind the chill. He was feeling better today, awake and refreshed. For the first time in over a month Scott found himself wanting to explore the city. As long as he made it quick, Deucalion wouldn't worry, didn't have to know. Scott threw on a jacket as he made his way out the door, scenting the air for his pack and finding no one close by. He picked a random direction and started walking.

Besides the cold it was a nice morning; slightly overcast with patches of shade and sun dancing across the ground. The pack lived in a residential area away from the main city so most of the people Scott saw were either young mothers with toddlers or older folk walking their dogs. One elderly lady's German Shepard perked up when Scott walked by and pulled on his owner's leash, struggling to get closer.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" the lady exclaimed, struggling with the leash. "He's never like this." Scott blinked, surprised. It had been years since animals had acted favorably to him. Since the darkness had taken over all animals had shied away, frightened of him. The young man bent down and held out his hand. The dog eagerly came up and started licking it.

"It's fine," Scott told the lady. "I like dogs." He shifted his hand and patted the hound's head.

"That's good," the lady said then sighed. "He generally doesn't like new people, but he seems to be taken with you." Scott gave a small smile and noticed gray fur around the muzzle.

"Is he old?"

"Oh very old," the lady confirmed, "I got him two years ago as a rescue. They think he's a little over twelve, not much time left, but I couldn't leave him at the pound. The older ones never get taken."

"You're a good person," Scott said and locked eyes with the dog, red slowly bleeding into his. The Shepard whined and wagged his tail, licking at Scott's chin. "Most people would have kept walking." He stood up and brushed off his jeans. "Back you go." He pointed to the older lady and the dog retreated back to his master. Scott waved them both goodbye and felt something twist in his chest. Animals liked him again. Maybe he wasn't as broken as he thought, maybe Deucalion was right.

Scott lost himself in thought and kept walking, eventually losing track of time as well. His feet continued moving forward and his mind kept turning, hand going into his pocket where he kept that wolfsbane bullet from so long ago. He played out the past four years in his mind over and over again, all the events leading up to this moment, to who he was now. He clenched his hand around the bullet as guilt crashed upon him again, images of Deucalion hurt and bleeding. The amount of pain he had caused was staggering.

Scott found himself in a forest when he looked back up, at his feet a large gnarled tree trunk. A flash of the Nemeton came to his mind, ice water rushing over his skin and inky blackness seeping into his vision. The moment passed and in its place Scott felt warm, hot even. His stomach fluttered and the young man wrapped his arms around himself and crouched down, curled in on himself. Just when he'd thought he'd grown comfortable with himself, apparently his body was still confused. One step forward two steps—

A howl cut off his train of thought and Scott straightened, looking at the sky. The sun would be setting soon. When had so much time passed? Another howl sounded and Scott heard the clear notes of panic in Deucalion's voice. The rest of the pack immediately responded and Scott's chest twinged at their distress. He let out his own call, keeping his tone calm and apologetic. A few moments passed and he knew it would be best to wait for one of his pack to find him.

Scott sat heavily on the tree stump, waiting. The day had started off well enough, perhaps too much time to think was still a bad thing. Scott's eyes stung as he stared into the trees. He shouldn't have left the house. Just because he felt better for an instant didn't mean he was fine. He still had a long way to go before his mentality stabilized, but for a moment, all Scott had wanted was to be normal again. And he had felt it too, this morning with his pack.

He needed more time, but he had to rush. Weakness like this wouldn't be ignored much longer.

"There you are." A cold sweat broke over Scott as Kali walked up behind him. The thought hadn't occurred to him that she could catch him alone like this, he'd just assumed Deucalion would find him first. Scott fought for control over his heartbeat, trying to let nothing show. Kali let out a howl, altering the pack that she had found him. The younger alpha huddled closer in on himself, alert and tense. If it came down to it he would defend himself...except, maybe he deserved—

"That old wolf's right, you think too much." Kali slid down and joined Scott, looking entirely too unconcerned.

"It's my job to think." Scott's hands clenched at his side.

"For the pack, in times of danger and to plan attacks. Not self-deprecating thoughts leading to indecision and weakness." Kali danced around her words, voice playful. Scott wasn't fooled for a second.

"Guess I've had a lot on my mind," he sighed. Deucalion wouldn't make it in time, none of the pack would. It would still be best to fight, even if he did deserve this. "Speaking of weakness—"

"Did I ever tell you about my brother?" Kali interrupted, looking over her nails and completely indifferent to Scott's inner turmoil.

The younger alpha held back another sigh. "Of course not, you never talk about yourself. _Ever_."

"Right." Kali nodded. "Any way, you look a bit like him—of course his hair was much shaggier, you've got this clean cut thing going on that's nice, but he was a stupid kid so it's to be expected—and he followed me around all the time when we were younger. Thinking back, it was really ridiculous how he looked up to me." She tucked some of her hair behind an ear.

Scott stayed absolutely still, puzzled by the turn of events but not wanting to set her off either. Kali's eyes took an odd quality as she looked up to the darkening sky. "When I turned, it was of my choice. The darkness and brutality of my pack called to me and I embraced it, I found power within it. I left my old life and never looked back...never said goodbye. It was a clean cut I made."

Somehow, none of this surprised Scott. "Why are you telling me this?" he asked, picking his words with care.

"You're the only alpha I've ever had that I liked." Kali frowned, like it was a disturbing thought. "By that I mean, the only alpha I've never wanted to kill when they showed weakness. I'm not sure, but five years ago you'd have already been dead for becoming this weak and soft, because that was the type of person I had turned into. It's how I took down my first alpha and I was just waiting for Deucalion to be injured in a fight so I could rip his throat out and take over the alpha pack."

"What alpha pack?" Scott couldn't help but laugh bitterly. "If you had done that Aiden and Ethan would have attacked you and with them dead, it would have just been you and Ennis. Not much of an alpha pack."

"Well, yes. I see that now." Kali rolled her eyes. "That was just always my frame of mind. Look for weakness, take down the leader."

"And now?" Scott looked over to her and finally placed the emotion in the she-alpha's eyes. Confusion.

"I think...I've gotten tired of killing," she confessed and shrugged. "This whole time you've been down and out I haven't felt restless. Don't need to hunt to feel satisfied. When I think back to all of the blood I've shed, all the lives I've taken, I don't feel regret, but I do feel—"

"—drained?" Scott sighed and felt the woman shift next to him. "When we were hunting the white wolf, even before the darkness left me, I had started to feel exhausted of my current lifestyle."

"Like I said: big intellectual thinker." It was meant to be harsh, but Kali's own voice softened the words. "Always two steps ahead of the rest of the pack. You really are like that old wolf." She paused for a moment, trying to gather her thoughts. "I-I don't know what I want anymore." And Scott could tell how much this troubled her, the fact that Kali was sitting down and talking about her life to someone being the biggest indicator.

"I know what that's like," he said softly.

"It's fucking frustrating is what it is," Kali snapped and sounded much like her old self, Scott found himself grinning. A thought came to him.

"Why don't you go back and try to find your family? That brother of yours?"

"_Right_." Her voice turned sour and Kali's eyes narrowed. She ran a hand through her hair and bit her lip. "Look, I don't want pity but, my brother was the one bright spot in my life. Our father? He was a brute. Beat us daily for the smallest mistakes, weakness wasn't tolerated. I've heard some horror stories in my time and I guess I was lucky. He slapped me around but he never _touched_ me. You want real horror stories ask Deucalion about his first alpha.

Anyways, I was strong. I knew how to curl and deflect the worst of my father's rage. My brother was—well, fragile. I told you he followed me around all the damn time, I was his pillar and I up and left one day. Left him to that life, never said goodbye, never thought to take him with me." She sighed and glared at Scott. "And I didn't regret it until I met you. Until I woke up in an urgent care center and you were on the floor, pale and bleeding and dead-looking and it was so stupid, but the only thing I could think about was if my brother died looking like that."

"Oh." Scott needed to get better at using his words. He fidgeted with his sweater sleeves and tried to absorb all the information that had just been dumped on him. It explained a lot, though. "Guess that's why you don't like being touched," he observed.

"And why I don't like intimacy and need to be in control, _yes_. I don't need to be psychoanalyzed, kid. I know my faults." Kali's sarcasm bit at him. "Listen, I know my brother is either dead, fucked up beyond repair, or somehow also managed to drag himself away from that life. I don't belong in _any_ of those scenarios."

"Where do you belong?" Scott asked and Kali slapped him on the back of the head, surprising the young alpha and making him yelp.

"Here, obviously. Making sure my exceedingly young leader doesn't drown himself in emotion and self-doubt like a teenager who thinks life is far more dramatic than it actually is. The whole point of this," she gestured between them, "is that I don't plan to make the same mistake twice. I may not know what I want from life anymore, but I still know my place. It's just that simple."

"I—I." Scott was at a loss. His brain froze, unsure of what to do. "That simple?" He finally latched on to a word.

"That simple," she confirmed and gave a pointed look to Scott, who took a second to realize that whole first part of the speech had been for him.

"I'm...I'm acting like a regular teenager?" Somewhere hope flared in his chest.

"Uh, _yeah_," Kali exaggerated. "It's a pretty good act, too. Everyone else seems to be caught up in it and is freaking out over you. People have to fight and overcome darkness within themselves all the time, it's generally not as literal as what you had to do, but still. People change everyday and it's not the end of the world."

Put like that, maybe Scott was overreacting. Just a little.

"You really don't want to attack me?" he asked, just to make sure because this was still a lot to take in.

"You'd be dead already if I did," Kali deadpanned and Scott figured she was right. He scratched the back of his head and grinned weakly.

"Sorry, it's just, you've _seemed_ restless to me the past several weeks. I had all but planned on you to attack."

"Ah," the she-alpha tapped her cheek. "Yeah, guess it might look like that. It was frustration, not restlessness. I hate not knowing what I want, or what to do."

"I can see that now." A fear eased in Scott's chest and he could finally breathe, his mind settled and a calm fell over him. Both alphas shared a companionable silence. Which was ruined as Deucalion burst upon the scene, startling Scott badly. "Wh-what—"

The older wolf snarled at Kali, who raised an eyebrow, and coiled his body to attack, only to stumble to a halt as he completely took in everything. Scott noticed Deucalion panting hard, sweat covering his body and his eyes were wild.

"Are you okay?" Scott leaped forward, worried.

The older man flinched at the question, falling to a knee in exhaustion. "Am I?" His voice cracked.

"Ha! Looks like you weren't the only one who thought I'd attack." Kali chuckled and Scott's brain finally caught up. He bit his lip as he realized that when Kali had announced to the pack her discovery of Scott, Deucalion had feared the worst. That his promise to protect Scott was undone.

"Hey, I'm fine," he reassured and crouched next to the other. Deucalion immediately pulled him in and pressed their foreheads together.

"I thought—"

"Sorry, sorry." Scott kept apologizing. "I just wanted to go out for a walk, didn't think I'd be gone that long. Just...kinda lost track of time. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to worry you."

"It's his right." Kali sighed as she stood up and looked down at Deucalion. "He's the alpha. He can do what he wants."

"Kali, _don't_," Scott warned as he saw a vein pulse dangerously on Deucalion's neck and a growl start deep in his chest. He leaned in further and ran and hand through the other's hair. "_Calm down_." And he made it an order, pleased to feel the older wolf start to relax and sag against Scott.

"I can see where you get your dramatic streak," Kali commented and Scott sent her a heated glare.

Later that night, after they finally returned home and Scott had apologized to Derek and the twins for worrying them, Deucalion crawled into bed without asking for permission and wrapped himself tightly around the younger alpha. Scott squirmed slightly, trying to get comfortable.

"Hey, ease up. I'm not going anywhere," he said, but Deucalion didn't respond. Scott twisted and tried to turn to face the older wolf, giving a huff in annoyance when Deucalion's grip made that impossible. "Seriously?" he asked.

"Don't do that again," the man muttered into Scott's back and the guilt crashed into the younger wolf.

"I really am sorry," he repeated and gave up trying to turn around, settling for stroking the older wolf's arm. "I dunno, but I felt pretty good this afternoon. I finally wanted to go outside. I just thought it'd be a quick walk."

"What happened?"

"Nothing." Scott shrugged. "Well, I-I got sucked into my own thoughts again. Started worrying about stuff. It was probably best Kali found me, gave us a chance to talk."

"And if she had decided to attack?"

"I would have fought," the young man maintained. He didn't add that it would have been futile. "Anyways, she didn't. And she says she won't, I believe her."

"I do _not_."

"Deucalion, if she'd really wanted to kill me I wouldn't be here right now. You know that." He grimaced as the man tightened his grip around him. Deucalion stayed silent and Scott knew he was still processing. "I remind her of her younger brother," he disclosed quietly. "I don't know what type of life you came from before turning, but mine's always connected me to my humanity at least in some way. Maybe it does the same for her?" The other alpha gave a long sigh and finally relaxed against Scott.

"I still don't trust her." But he nuzzled at the back of Scott's neck, licking gently, and the young man knew he had let it go for now.

"Well, you're my beta," Scott responded and he turned to face Deucalion. "It's your job to look out for me."

"_Of course_."

.


	10. Chapter 10

Two months later Scott woke in a cold sweat from a nightmare; a horrible thought came to him about something important he had left unfinished.

"Morning," he greeted at breakfast and sat next to the twins, startling them both.

"Did we do something wrong?" Aidan asked quickly. Although Scott had finally begun to get a grip on his sanity, finding his center as an alpha again, the twins still shied away around him. Both had taken a submissive posture in their seats.

"What? No, of course not," Scott assured them, rolling his eyes. "I've come to a conclusion to an issue that needs to be resolved."

"Sure sounds like they did something wrong," Kali interjected slyly from across the table, before drinking from her coffee. Scott could practically feel as both twins broke out into a sweat and he glared at the she-alpha. Deucalion watched carefully next to her, face closed, but heartbeat steadied out as it did when he was uneasy. And everybody wondered how Scott got his dramatic streak, his entire pack was overly dramatic!

"For the love of God, no one did anything wrong," he huffed and turned back to his omegas. "I think we should finish high school."

"Um..." Whatever the twins had been expecting him to say, clearly it wasn't that.

"Where did this come from?" Derek asked from the end of the table, his usual scowl in place.

"I don't know." Scott shrugged. "It's just something I realized I regretted: never graduating or anything. It used to be really important to me."

"Okay, but what do _we_ have to do with this?" Ethan asked.

"Well, you two didn't graduate either."

"So?" Aidan grunted.

Scott gritted his teeth and took a moment to compose himself. "Don't you two want to better yourselves?"

"Sure, but not through study." Aidan shrugged. "And _not_ through math."

"He's being a little bitch, ignore him Alpha." Ethan sighed. "He hates math."

"There is literally _no_ point for me to study it!"

"Having a GED opens the door for more jobs," Scott pointed out. "Plus from what I recall, it's not that hard of a test. It shouldn't take too much studying to get you two caught up."

"Why would they need more job options?" Kali rolled her eyes. "They seem quite happy with manual labor and taking off their shirts."

"Ha! I knew you were watching," Aiden accused. Scott repressed another sigh and waited for his pack to calm down. Which, after Deucalion sent a warning growl across the table to the twins, ended up not being that long.

"You should want to have as many options as possible," he started again. "When we settle there might not be a manual labor option or you may want to try something new."

"Settle?" Both twins grew serious and gave Scott their full attention. In fact, the entire pack had gone quiet.

"You want to settle?" Deucalion asked carefully, voice and heartbeat still neutral.

"Not here." Scott shrugged. "But yeah, I'd like to find a place to settle and create a more permanent den." He knew this was important to the twins, something they had always wanted. A home.

"Oh." That was about the most either of them could do.

"If you start talking about pups and mating then I'm fucking out of here," Kali snorted and it broke some of the tension. Scott could feel the undercurrent of emotions swirling within his pack at his words and worked hard to maintain his casual presence. Derek leaned closer to him.

"You know that's a big step for a pack: finding a place to settle. Certain instincts will kick in once you pick a place."

"I figured." Scott nodded. He had to stop himself from asking how Derek felt about the decision. He was the alpha, the others would let him know in private if they had issues, but in front of the group his word was law. It had been taking some practice with Deucalion and Kali, but Scott was getting better at honing his instincts without being cruel or uncompromising.

"It would be nice to have a home again," Derek finally agreed and sat back in his seat.

"Hence the GED exam." Scott pulled them back to his original topic. "It's just something that might make settled life a bit easier." In this instance Scott wanted to give his omegas a choice, and to be honest he wanted studying mates, too.

"Yeah, okay." Ethan replied immediately and Aidan sighed loudly, but nodded when Scott sent him a questioning look.

"Good," Scott brightened considerably, "let's get started."

Lessons began the next day and Scott turned his passion for research into study topics for the GED. Teaching the twins everything he could get his hands on. He bought a preparation booklet and had all three of them take the practice test to see what areas they needed to focus on (which ended up being every subject for both twins).

It felt wonderful to pour over the familiar information: writing, mathematics, social studies, history, science, and reading. As soon as he'd started rereading the curriculum it felt like seeing an old friend again, memories of school rushing into his mind. Scott made sure to try and add in as much werewolf lore within the studies as he could find, partly for himself and partly to keep Aidan interested as the twin struggled the most out of the three with learning.

Deucalion went through all the lycanthropy history with them, telling stories and the origins of their mythology. Scott found it endlessly fascinating, often staying longer than the twins to listen to more stories and go into greater depth about a subject.

His interest only seemed to excite Deucalion and further spur his academic enthusiasm and they would both talk long into the nights. Scott's dreams were filled with ancient knowledge and tales of wolves dancing in the light.

It took four months of constant study for the twins to be at a satisfactory level for Scott to sign them up for testing. At that point both Derek and Kali were pent up with restless energy as most of the pack had been cooped up and normal activities, such as patrols and sparing, had been put aside.

As for the twins, Scott had never been more proud. Aidan especially had ended up flourishing (although not in math) when Scott had decided to add an extra curricular subject to relieve some of the intense pressure and picked art.

They had each chosen a different medium, with Aidan picking carpentry and excelling at it far past anyone's expectations. Ethan had tried metal sculpture but had ended up focusing on welding more than actual art and Scott had taken up photography.

He'd never had a flare for creativity and perhaps it reminded him of Allison; however, like her, he wasn't very good at it. Although Deucalion poured over his pictures with an fixation that confused Scott, wondering if it had something to do with his past blindness.

The past three months of studying together had led the three young men to form a habit of gathering at the coffee table in the living room, sitting on the floor and going over their respective studies. Scott encouraged them along the way, finally starting to bond with the twins and forming a connection they'd previously never shared. The more time he spent with them, chatting and sometimes just quietly hanging out, the calmer the two seemed to become. They actively began to seek him out to talk and shied around him less and less until one night, a week before they tested and Scott had them cramming, the two fell asleep pressed up tight against either side of him, showing an unguarded sense of trust they generally only had for Deucalion.

"Something wrong?" Scott asked later that night after he had staggered into his room and collapsed on the bed. Deucalion was still up, sitting on the bed and regarding Scott with a muted look.

"It's nothing." He reached out and brushed a hand through Scott's hair, eyes softening. The young man leaned into the touch and let exhaustion wash over him and drifted off.

.

* * *

.

"Ready?" Scott asked a week later, Aidan and Ethan standing on either side of him in front of the testing center. The sky was clear, sun high in the sky as a brisk breeze ruffled their clothes. The air around them was quiet for a moment as both twins took a deep breath.

"No." Aidan replied suddenly and looked pale.

Ethan shrugged.

"Remember, it's an almost eight hour test," Scott went over again, paternal instincts kicking in. "Use your time wisely, we've gone over tons of strategies. You just need to score 410 on each subject to pass so if you don't know the answer just move on to the next problem." Both twins sighed and Scott had to remind himself to back off. "Calculators?" he asked before he could help it.

"Yes, _dad_," Ethan finally huffed and they both held one up. "God, you're worse than Deucalion." The older wolf in question had been in an extreme state of calm the entire morning, which Scott took to be his version of panic, as his heartbeat had been steadier than a metronome and that had to take an insane amount of control to do for that long.

"You'll do fine," Scott said after another minute. He opened the door and started to walk in. "I trust you." It was quiet and he didn't turn around to see their faces.

Eight hours later in the park they had promised to meet, Scott was barreled over by his omegas in their excitement as they showed him their passing scores. An incredible feeling welled up in his chest then, only for him to realize it was pure elation; happiness like Scott hadn't felt in years. He pulled both twins in for a hug and howled up into the sky before he could contain it. Aiden and Ethan joined in and for once, Scott felt completely at peace with himself. Whole, as if his scars both mental and physical had been washed away. Over something so simple, but important too.

Their boundless excitement and energy swept through the rest of the pack when they returned home, amplified by the restlessness everyone had been feeling and the next clear memory Scott had was of running through a forest, full moon shimmering above and the scent of his entire pack around him. He laughed, wild and recklessly, dancing with the trees and wind.

Scott felt through the shifting of scents and the slide of skin, a firm body press up against him. Through the wind and the music of everyone's heartbeats Deucalion moved in sync with Scott, their bodies twisting and twirling together. Dancing in the darkness and moonlight Scott felt his stomach clench with want. He blinked, and was suddenly swept up into a fervent kiss, Deucalion's hands cupping Scott's face.

Everyone howled around them and he could feel the power of the moon calling and swirling within. Scott pulled away, took a deep breath and kissed back, channeling everything he felt in that moment through it. The world spun and for one golden moment, nothing in the world could bring down Scott McCall.

Of course morning came eventually, as did reality.

"Wh-what?" Scott almost rolled out of bed, senses not all kicking in at the same time. He blinked at the sunlight glittering behind the curtains and didn't remember coming back home or falling asleep. Odd.

That was when the scent hit him.

"Oh _god_." Like a sucker punch to the gut, Scott rolled up into a ball and tried to calm his instincts. Their heat had come early.

"Deucalion?" He twisted around and found the older man turned away, body twitching and arousal radiating off him. Scott sat up and had to shake his head, dizziness overcoming him. Something was different, his pack's scent was off. Why had the heat come so early? It had barely been nine months. "_Deucalion_." He tried again and reached out for his bedmate, but as soon as his skin made contact Scott found himself engulfed by the other wolf, Deucalion's lips burning on his as hands pulled Scott flush against him.

His scent was potent enough to make Scott lightheaded and he felt his vision flicker, adding to his alarm. His pack's desire was always compelling during a heat, clamoring at his senses and demanding fulfillment, but never to the point of overpowering him physically. This time it felt draining just to be around the other alpha. Scott felt himself go limp and fall back, hitting the mattress with a thump.

At his lack of response Deucalion finally pulled away, although he kept his head buried against the younger man's neck. "_Scott?_" Voice harsh and wrecked, a tongue swiped out to lick across Scott's skin.

He didn't answer back, heartbeat becoming irregular as he gasped for breath as whatever Scott was feeling intensified. A weight lifted and suddenly Deucalion's face was before his, pupils blown out and irises an intense red, but his face alarmed.

The sounds of the rest of the pack filtered into Scott's senses and impulse took over. He pushed Deucalion away. "Need to check on the others." He managed and stumbled out of bed.

"You're pale—" Deucalion was clearly wrestling with his own instincts, his naked body covered in a sheen of sweat; Scott could practically feel the pulse of his blood, a thick vein in his neck calling to him. He turned and made for the door.

"I'll be back, don't worry." Outside the room the scent was weaker and Scott took a moment to collect himself. It was ruined as Kali came out and Scott flinched back, able to smell the wetness between her legs.

"Alpha?" She rushed up to him as Scott slid down the wall to sit on the floor, the world floating as vertigo seemed to overtake him.

"Something's wrong, Kali." He mumbled and pushed his hands against his temples. "Heat's early. Your scents are off. I feel weird." She was careful and didn't touch him, but Scott could smell the sheer want on her, could see the swell of her breasts underneath her overcoat.

"What..." Kali paused from whatever she had been about to say and studied Scott, eyes sharp even when clouded with lust.

"What's wrong with me?" Scott asked and didn't like how helpless he sounded. Through the walls to his room he thought he heard Deucalion make a pained noise. A hand finally touched his shoulder and he watched as Kali took a shuddering breath.

"I need you to trust me, Alpha." She spoke slowly. "Nothing's wrong, but I don't have the willpower to sit here and explain it unless you want to fuck me senseless against the wall so I can calm down."

"Please _no_," Scott muttered and they both gave small smiles.

"So believe me that you're fine and what's happening can be explained. What you're experiencing? It may seem hard but give into it, you'll feel better." She shook and her scent was almost nauseating, but a primal part of him growled and his she-alpha trembled on her knees. "I really need to go, I almost—"

"Go." Scott ordered and she took off. He heaved himself up, hands scrabbling at the wall to steady himself. He had to accept that Kali knew what she was talking about. A sharp bark was issued and only Derek responded, meaning the twins had already left.

"Are you alright?" Scott asked as he leaned heavily against Derek's door.

"Fine." His pack mate responded instantly, voice rough but gentle. He didn't open the door and Scott was glad for it, unsure if he could handle Derek's scent as well. "Are you? I heard Kali."

"Is she right?" If anyone would know about werewolves, it'd be Derek.

"I think I know what she's getting at." The other responded. "I have to leave too, but just remember that a pack responds to their alpha. You've changed and from your perspective, so has our heats."

"My perspective..." Scott trailed off, contemplating. It was cut off as he heard another pained noise from Deucalion and he ran back over to his door. "Told you I'd be—what are you doing?!" He meant to yell but it came out as a frantic whisper. Deucalion was kneeling on their bed, claws sunken deep into his leg with blood trickling down.

"Scott, you look faint." He groaned and Scott noticed his scent had weakened. He was trying to force the heat out of his body.

"No, don't do that. I'm fine." Of course Scott had to put his hands on his knees to steady himself as the world spun. He focused on Kali's words; to give into the feeling. Of what? Passing out on the floor?

He opened his eyes and looked over Deucalion, pain and anxiety mixed in his scent now, blood still pounding through his body and erection straining between his legs. His neck called out to Scott again and the young man concentrated on that. "_Stop hurting yourself_." He commanded and let his eyes shift and teeth come out. It was the first time he had ordered Deucalion during a heat.

Deucalion's nails slid back into his hand and Scott could hear his breathing hitch at his alpha's display of power. Scott drew more energy from that and stalked forward, the scent of lust returning tenfold and he threw himself on the older man, clamping his teeth around Deucalion's neck. He groaned, hands seizing Scott's back, human nails scraping down soft skin and the younger man arched, moaning through his bite. Deucalion thrashed at the vibrations it caused, hips thrusting up against Scott.

"There we go." Scott breathed, releasing his grip. He smiled as Deucalion grabbed his shoulders and pulled him down for another bruising kiss, teeth flashing and moans tumbling from his lips.

"Y-you're sure—?" Deucalion always tried so hard for him, it was humbling. Scott growled and snaked a hand down to grip Deucalion's cock, wrenching a broken groan from the man. He pumped roughly, running a finger along the slit and moving his mouth to trail along the solid chest beneath him. Scott felt as Deucalion's claws snapped out and sunk into his back, but he shrugged off the pain, falling further into the heat.

"Tell me what you want." Scott mumbled into heated skin, drawing a nipple between his teeth before sucking hard. His hand moved lower so he could massage the older man's scrotum, rolling the trembling flesh with sure fingers. Deucalion bucked into his hand, gasping and Scott felt the scrape of fangs against his shoulder. "You wanna bite me? That what you wanna do?" He teased, removing his hand before shoving his knee between Deucalion's legs so the man could grind against it. Scott reached behind to the fingers buried in his back and pried them away, pinning Deucalion's wrists against the bed and leaning over the other with only his knee to tortuously satisfy the older man. Deucalion's teeth were fully extended and Scott knew from experience they ached to bite. He bent down closer. "Do you wish it had been _you_ that had bitten me? To make me a werewolf, to sink into my neck and taste my blood?"

Scott nearly slipped and fell as Deucalion jerked violently against his knee, incoherent sounds pouring from his lips as his teeth snapped at the neck in front of him. He had lost all control and a part of Scott reveled in it.

"Tell me what you want." He repeated, egged on. "_Please_ tell me. I'm yours right now." Deucalion surged up, crushing his lips against Scott's again and forcing his way into the younger man's mouth.

"You. Need _you_—all of you." Scott was amazed he managed to put that many words together and decided to try and help.

"Want me to fuck you so hard you'll feel it for days?" He purred, licking gently at Deucalion's neck.

"_Please_." Deucalion panted, struggling against Scott's hold, arching to try and get closer. His eyes were a brilliant red that glowed, tears threatening to fall in his desperation. Scott groaned loudly at the words, primal instincts taking over and an idea blossoming within his mind.

"I know what you need." He released his bedmate's hands and fumbled for the nightstand. Deucalion immediately attacked his chest once free, tongue and teeth scraping at his skin with hands returning to his back. Scott gave a strangled laugh as Deucalion grabbed his ass and pushed their hips together, painfully reminding him of his own needs.

He finally wrenched open the drawer and pulled out some lube, sitting back up and pushing Deucalion down. The older wolf whined but stayed still, eyeing the bottle with desire.

Scott turned the other man on his side before lifting his closest leg and hooking it over his shoulder, running a finger along Deucalion's skin and noting the rougher hair on his calf becoming finer and softer as he trailed down closer to his thigh before reaching the smooth muscled skin of his ass and pressing against his entrance. Deucalion buried his face in the sheets to cover his loud moan, cock dripping with anticipation.

Scott squirted a generous amount of the clear lubricant onto his hand before pressing a single finger into the wolf below him, grinning as Deucalion cried out in frustration, hips pushing back and demanding more.

"I heard what you said." Scott assured and sunk another two fingers into him, twisting them around before brushing against Deucalion's prostate. The man's leg around him tightened as he flailed against Scott, screaming into the mattress, claws ripping at the bedding. The young man was forced to grab the leg on his shoulder to steady himself.

"_More_." Deucalion begged as Scott slowly thrust in and out of him.

"Like this?" He pushed a fourth finger in, feeling the tight ring of muscle clamp down at the intrusion. Deucalion, for his part, seemed to finally realize what Scott had planned and gave a long muffled whine, tears finally breaking as he pleaded to Scott breathlessly.

"You said to fill you." Scott expanded, sliding his thumb in as well. "What you need is a good hard knot inside, pressing so tight against your walls that it feels like you're gonna burst." It was tricky, trying to push his knuckles past the sphincter as Scott didn't want to hurt Deucalion, but was encouraged by the noises the man made at both his actions and words. The further he sunk in, the more the man's cock leaked, dark red in his excitement. "I'm not a wolf right now, but that doesn't mean I can't give you what you want."

The sight in front of Scott was intoxicating as his entire fist finally pushed into Deucalion. The man lay sprawled on the bed, twisted to the side and legs trembling, curled around Scott with clawed fingers white and clenched into the sheets; sweat coating his body as he panted, trying to adjust.

"_Mine_." Scott whispered and closed his fist, making a knot within the other. He knew when it pressed against Deucalion's prostate because the man's entire body writhed and his back sharply arched as he convulsed in pleasure. Scott removed his free hand from Deucalion's leg to stroke the other's neglected cock, using quick and precise movements as the older wolf squirmed on his fist, bucking against him before hitting his climax.

"_SCOTT!_" Deucalion screamed, fangs showing as he transformed fully. Scott squeezed his fist to prolong the feeling as come spurt from Deucalion with such force that it splattered all across the bed and onto his face. Scott's mind left him for a moment, rushing forward to lick greedily at it before plunging his fangs into the outstretched neck, spiraling Deucalion further down another wave of pleasure. He continued milking him, wrenching another orgasm from Deucalion before carefully withdrawing his hand and falling back onto the bed, exhausted.

Scott listened to Deucalion breathing with anxiety in his stomach, making sure there were no sounds of pain. It was an unusual heat, so Scott wasn't sure how long this might need to continue.

"You alright?" he finally wheezed out, too weary to try and sit up as whatever power he had been drawing from the heat, left him. The only answer he received was a low sated groan from Deucalion. "Good." Scott sighed, feeling sweat trickle down his forehead. In a few minutes he would attempt to move again, until then—

His breath choked off as Deucalion brushed a hand over his body, heaving himself over to grab Scott's legs and drag the young man closer, yanking off his briefs and licking roughly at his flagging erection. Scott moaned, part in pleasure, but mainly in fatigue. Deucalion drew him in completely and sucked with a raw hunger, hollowing out his cheeks to enclose Scott in a tight wet heat. It sent electricity down his spine, but did nothing to drive back the tiredness.

"Hey, give me a small break." He pushed at the overeager alpha, but was ignored. Deucalion made a desperate noise as his arms ran up Scott's side and twined around him. "_Deucalion_." At his command the older wolf pulled back with a whine. Part of Scott mourned the loss of those talented lips.

"Please," Deucalion begged, kissing at the young wolf's sensitive hips, "just want to worship your body...you've done so much—" Scott knew he was still out of it, words a jumbled mess. "Just want to love you..."

"Um," Scott coughed nervously. He finally managed to sit up and draw the other closer, nuzzling at Deucalion's neck and licking at his bite mark, slightly embarrassed at the probably unintended declaration. He decided to ignore it. "I know you don't like to leave things unfinished, I'm just too tired to go another round right now." He explained gently. "Give me a few minutes."

"Your scent's already changing." Deucalion pointed out, eyes still a burning red. He growled at Scott's ministrations.

"Yeah," Scott looked down and saw his excitement decreasing again, "don't know what's wrong with me."

"Nothing. Nothing's wrong." Deucalion mouthed at Scott's ear, nipping at the ear and sending a tiny jolt through him. "Let me help you."

"I want to be able to give you the attention you deserve." Scott argued. Deucalion made a distressed sound in the back of his throat and pressed against Scott until the young man was lying back on the bed.

"No, _my_ turn." His eyes sharpened for just a moment, showing Scott he knew what he was saying. "Let me pleasure you..._please_." Trust. He was asking for Scott's trust.

"Ok."

It was shaky, but Scott meant what he said, fingers trembling as he clutched the sheets underneath him. In a flash Deucalion was back lavishing his cock, tongue everywhere, humming around Scott to make the young man shiver. A small part of him felt guilt, that Deucalion was being so gentle with him when Scott hadn't the first time he'd pinned the older wolf underneath him.

"Stop thinking." Deucalion pulled back just enough to mutter, nipping at Scott's thigh and the younger wolf jerked. He watched as Deucalion trailed kisses up along his chest, hands constantly moving and caressing, almost massaging and Scott tried to relax into it. His breath stuttered as Deucalion reached his neck and started sucking lightly on his pulse, causing lightning shoot down his nerves and Scott fought against the urge to tilt his neck. Deucalion chuckled at this and the vibrations made Scott jolt, hands coming up to rest on the other's hips.

"Wh-what are you doing?" He tried not to sound scared. Deucalion scraped his teeth over Scott's neck as he switched to the other side. The younger man buckled as his neck was lavished, sensations flooding his system and he tried to keep breathing through it. Deucalion freed a hand and grasped Scott's erection, pulling a gasp from him. Skillful fingers ran up and down its length as Deucalion pressed his tongue flat against Scott's neck, along a jugular and something about the motion twisted at Scott's chest.

"Deucalion—" Deucalion finally retreated, Scott's hand coming to his neck to feel the healing bruises. He took a deep breath, calming his heart as he prepared himself. At least his cock seemed to be enjoying the attention.

"Did..." Deucalion looked unsure of himself for a moment. "Did that feel good?"

Scott blinked. "It felt—different."

He pulled the older man down on him, pleasantly surprised when Deucalion went straight for his mouth, kissing frantically. They broke after a moment and he moved to Scott's chest, passing his neck and the younger man sighed in relief. It choked out as Deucalion nipped at his flesh, but before he could process much else the man sat up, face tense. Scott frowned, worried, and he open his mouth to speak, but was cut off as the older wolf climbed on top of his sprawled body, aligning himself and sinking down onto Scott's erection.

"Oh." His mind fizzled out as he dug his feet into the mattress to push himself more into the other. Deucalion shuddered as he was filled and finally seemed comfortable, relaxing. Scott's hands found their way to his hips, mind dizzy with desire as he watched Deucalion straddle him, shifting and sending warm shocks through him.

"G-gonna move?" he managed to ask. Deucalion watched him carefully, eyes sharper and not clouded like Scott wanted. At the his words the man finally stirred, hips bucking against Scott's and they both moaned. Deucalion rode him, body working hard as he set an intense pace, sweat rolling off his body and muscles tight as he gripped the headboard for leverage and to change his angle. Scott's back had arched off the bed as he gritted his teeth, eyes closed, the pleasure nearly overwhelming him but he hung on, panting as the sight above him was worth it.

"_Scott_..." Deucalion whimpered and the young wolf realized he was getting close, erection quivering again as he neared his peak, but holding himself back. He wanted Scott to come first.

"It's cool, you can—" His voice cut off as Deucalion slammed himself down on Scott, walls tightening around his cock and making the younger man see stars. His claws slid out and buried themselves into Deucalion's hips, the sensation pushing the man closer to the edge, whining as he clearly held himself back from release. A part of Scott enjoyed seeing him struggle so much, exhausted but with ecstasy running rampant through his system, trying to fight against the pleasure he was obviously feeling.

Scott shoved past his own fatigue and wrapped a hand around the other wolf's member. Deucalion jumped at the motion, causing them both to cry out, and swore as his entire body trembled. His arms collapsed and he fell on top of Scott, head buried in the crook of his neck as he shuddered violently, Scott's hand playing roughly with him.

"I—" Whatever Deucalion had been about to say was lost as Scott bit his neck, tongue running along the flesh in his mouth and the older man broke, breathless, come coating Scott's hand and their chests. His entire body clamped around the younger wolf and it surprised Scott so much that his own release caught him off guard, jolting him and passing too quickly. Scott clenched his teeth harder as he rode his orgasm before releasing and gasping, like he'd never taken a proper breath before.

Deucalion rolled off him after another moment, shaking as he tried to regain his own breathing. They both recovered and the cloying scent at last started to fade, letting Scott's head finally start to clear. He grinned in relief, heartbeat slowing down. That hadn't been so bad. A little scary, but not bad.

Scott flinched for a moment, waiting for the darkness to lash against him, his body prepared to face the onslaught pain...but nothing happened. Scott released a long breath, unknown anxiety easing in his chest and his freedom from that horrible past truly hit him.

Several minutes passed before Scott noticed Deucalion had shifted away from him, sitting up and facing the wall, oddly hushed. He reached out and ran a hand down the strong back, fingers tracing over muscles. The older wolf gave a low growl, but refused to face Scott.

"Hey." He struggled to sit up, but managed, and slung himself to drape over the man, arms circling around his waist. "Your leg better?"

"What?" Deucalion finally glanced at him, eyes closed off. Scott slid a hand down to run across Deucalion's thigh that he'd sunk his own claws into. He felt the slight bumps of scars and frowned.

"Don't hurt yourself like that," he admonished gently.

Deucalion's hand joined Scott's. "I was worried."

"Mutilating yourself in front of me did not help." Scott pointed out, hand returning to the man's waist. "Now you're being quiet, what's wrong?" He paused as a thought came to him. "Is it me? Because I was out of it?"

"What? _No_." Deucalion turned in his arms so he was half facing Scott, eyes flashing. "You were perfect, even as you coped with new hormones you...how you understand my body is—you still take my breath away." He made it sound like a painful admission and Scott tilted his head.

"So, I'm _too_ good?" Scott smirked.

"_No_." Deucalion blew out a breath. He turned his eyes away from Scott again, being stubbornly aloof. The younger man still noticed as the back of his neck turned red.

"What's wrong?" Scott tried again, worry starting to set in him. "You're sure it's not me? I don't know why my body reacted so differently, I'm sorry if it ruined—"

"It's _me_, Scott. I'm upset at myself!" Deucalion's voice cut in his curtness, even though Scott knew it wasn't directed at him. He growled, eyes shifting as he grew tried of Deucalion's evasive attitude. They were in a heat, he could force Deucalion to tell him if he wanted—Scott pulled back sharply on his thoughts, frightened at the path they had taken. He couldn't think like that anymore.

"Alright, I'm sorry." He felt sick again and moved away. Deucalion must have sensed his discomfort because he turned back to Scott and gripped his arm.

"Stop saying you're sorry, you've nothing to be sorry for." Deucalion seemed to forcibly relax himself, looking ashamed. "_I'm_ the one who's sorry. I suppose I don't like being reminded of my own shortcomings, but I shouldn't withdraw from you."

"I don't understand," Scott tried to push the frustration welling up in his chest down. "You looked like you were enjoying everything."

"Far more than simply enjoying," the man rolled his eyes, "if my multiple orgasms were any indicator. You...you didn't seem to be at the same level when the tables were turned, though." Scott quirked an eyebrow, still not making the connection.

Deucalion dragged a hand through his hair, eyes downcast. "I—I don't know how to pleasure you."

Scott opened his mouth as several images of Deucalion on his knees as he swallowed him down and made the younger man's knees shake; crowded his mind. Deucalion held up a hand.

"You can play my body similarly to an expert musician can his choice instrument." Which seemed a really flowery way of saying Scott knew what made him cum. The younger man tilted his head and frowned, still not following. "You know every aspect of me instinctually. It seems I do not know you the same way."

"You—" Scott was at a loss. It explained why Deucalion had asked if what he was doing felt good, why he had watched Scott so carefully. To be fair, it's not like anything he had done felt bad. Scott assumed he had been uncomfortable because he was unused to being on the bottom.

"Your scent and heartbeat don't lie," Deucalion explained, "you were uncomfortable...and scared."

"A bit." Scott admitted, swiping at his nose as he looked away. "Releasing control is hard, of course I was scared. I also didn't know what was happening with my body, still don't know. Guess I'm still a little scared. It's only fair, though, you were scared the first time I—"

"_Don't_." The venom in his voice shocked Scott. Deucalion's eyes flared red as they glared at him. "This was not the same. It—it wasn't, I didn't forced myself upon you..._right?_"

Scott saw where the conversation was headed and stopped it.

"Of course not, sorry. I gave you my consent." But he was still troubled, that ever-lingering guilt tapping gently at the back of Scott's mind.

"My body found a hungering lust in that fear, our first time." Deucalion shook his head. "Yours does not. I don't know how to make you feel as you make me."

"That's fine." Scott shrugged and felt Deucalion jerk next to him. "We'll try again later. You seem to be forgetting I've had almost five years to learn your body. It's not like anything you did felt bad. Like you said, I was coping with new hormones."

"True." Scott privately thought Deucalion liked being hard on himself, otherwise this would have dropped by now. He decided they should stop focusing on him for the moment.

"So did you like my makeshift knot?" He made his hand a fist and watched a full body shudder go through Deucalion. The man's throat seemed to have closed as he only gave Scott a tight nod. "How do you feel?"

"Sated. Complete." Deucalion turned to bury his head in Scott's neck, scenting him out.

"It's the least I can do after...well, _before_. It must've hurt when I had to lock myself away immediately afterwards."

"It's...in the past." Deucalion said quickly, but he did not meet Scott's eyes. The guilt stabbed at Scott's chest again and he started to pull away, a strong arm pulled him back and their mouths meeting briefly. Scott tried to put an apology behind his movements, tried to shake his guilt but it clung to him. Deucalion drew away to suck lightly at his neck, making the younger man yelp and jerk.

"Wh-what is that?" he asked, ignoring the electricity running up his spine. "F-feels—"

"Good?"

"Like sparks jumping around inside me." Scott explained, rubbing his neck. "Never felt that before, what're you doing?"

"It's—erm, a trick?" Deucalion seemed to have to hold himself back from attacking Scott's neck again. The worst of the heat was over, but Scott knew the desire to touch him would be strong with his entire pack. "Only works for dominate alphas. Your brain is receiving conflicting signals with my teeth so close to your neck and the natural sensitivity wolves have in that area. I've been told the feeling is...unique."

"You don't know?"

"I never allowed anyone close to my neck when I was dominate." The older man looked away, eyes darkening and Scott could tell when he was reliving memories. He took the opportunity to reach forward and lick at the bared neck, bringing his lips down to seal around flesh. "It'll feel good, to me," Deucalion grunted, squirming as his scent started to turn again, "but as a submissive I want to feel your teeth."

"Oh." Scott pulled back and smirked at the whine he received. "Makes sense."

"You didn't have to _stop_." He felt the laughter bubble up in his chest and Scott grinned. It quickly died as a wave of exhaustion rolled over him, reminding him of earlier. He fell against Deucalion's side and felt the man tense next to him.

"I think we're gonna have to wait awhile until the others get back. Still don't know what's wrong with me."

"_Nothing_." Strong arms circled around him. "Nothing's wrong with you." Scott felt his eyes drift shut, heart still uneasy, but safe as another body curled up next to his and he finally let sleep overtake him.

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	11. Chapter 11

FYI: This story is beta'd by the awesome underwater-smiles!

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"So that was it?" Scott asked, not quite believing the explanation was that easy.

"Again, _yes_." Kali sighed from where she laid on the couch later that night. She ran a hand through her hair. "I told you after the first heat that you didn't feel much because of who you were. Now that you've bonded with the pack and, y'know, feel stuff, you are much more connected with the pack and sensitive to us."

"So this'll be a reoccurring thing?" Scott wasn't looking forward to feeling as if the slightest breeze would knock him over every heat.

"You'll adjust." Deucalion assured him, nuzzling at his neck. Being allowed to touch Scott this heat he had taken full advantage of. Derek sat on Scott's other side, pressed firmly shoulder to shoulder.

"I agree," he stated, "this was the first time your body dealt with the full onslaught of hormones the heat brings out, of course you'd feel sick. I'm sure next year it'll be different."

"Will it take a full year?" Scott asked. "This heat was really early, which also caught me off guard."

"It caught _you_ off guard?" Kali snorted.

"Probably because of you—again?" Aiden nodded. Ethan elbowed him in the ribs and sent him a sour look.

"What he meant, alpha, is about your mood last night. You...it was pretty intense. We feed off your energy and you were so excited and, I guess, happy that it catapulted us into an early heat."

Scott blinked at him. "I can do that?"

"A powerful alpha can." Kali said nonchalantly. He felt a deep growl emanate from Deucalion's chest in agreement.

"It was nice to see you that happy." Derek murmured next to him and Scott felt his face go red. He took a deep breath, calmed by the scent of his pack, and prepared for a week full of awkward touches and zero personal space.

The next day Scott found himself staring outside the window in his room, leaning against the ledge and watching the clouds pass. For a rare moment he found himself alone, able to enjoy the peace and silence. The creak of the door and a powerful scent alerted him to Deucalion's presence.

"Ten minutes. That's a record." He commented. He didn't turn around, leaving his forehead pressed against the cold glass, but felt Deucalion come to stand behind him. Strong fingers brushed gently down the back of his neck.

"You're still troubled about something."

"It's nothing." Scott lied. Deucalion didn't need to know about his crushing guilt. He had to figure this out himself. How do you say sorry for years of abuse? How do you apologize for torturing someone you lo—

"That it takes so much of your attention, even during a heat, says different." Deucalion sat on the opposite side of the windowsill, hand falling to Scott's knee where it stayed. His heartbeat jumped from erratic to monotone several times over and Scott pulled himself away from his own thoughts and looked over the other man. As usual, Deucalion looked composed enough, though his eyes were still dilated from the heat and a slight sheen of sweat covered his body, but that was just from being this close to Scott. It was his neck that was most telling, the back of it bright red in a blush.

"I'll get over myself," he assured Deucalion. "Is everything alright?"

"Of course," was said back far too professionally. Scott tried to keep from smiling, and forced his eyes to glow a deep red and Deucalion shivered at the display.

"Time to go another round, then?" Scott knew what his beta needed and he leaned forward, but a hand on his chest stopped him.

"Uh," Deucalion seemed unable to form words for a moment but dragged himself back, although he looked pained from rebuffing Scott. "What I mean is, when was the last time you ate?"

Scott blinked, caught off guard. "I...don't remember?" It came out a question rather than a statement and he pulled back, honestly trying to remember. "Yesterday morning, before the test—no wait, wasn't that two days ago? Why?" Though he knew exactly where Deucalion was going. His stomach made a weird squelching noise and Scott winced. "Yeah..." He scratched the back of his head.

"You need food, and perhaps a break from the pack." Deucalion's eyes slid to the window. "Let's go out then, I'm sure we'll find something for you."

"Are you sure it's ok to leave everyone?" Which was a stupid question because before this heat he would actively avoid his pack for long periods of time.

"They'll survive." Deucalion responded dryly.

"Guess I am really hungry." Scott rubbed at his stomach. "And it'll be nice to see this city for once."

Deucalion gave a small smile. "I'm glad you approve." The slight waver in his voice was the only clue to Scott that something was off, but he didn't notice more until they were walking to the restaurant and he ran a critical eye over the older man.

"Are those new clothes?" Traveling constantly meant very few wardrobe choices. Scott only had two complete outfits, but he didn't recognize the blazer Deucalion wore now and ran a hand down the thick material.

"Ah, yes." Deucalion quickly looked away. "Just felt like a change."

"Looks good on you—" Scott cut off and his eyes widened. "Oh my god, are we going somewhere nice? Should I have dressed up?" Not like he could have; limited options.

"What—no, it's fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, Scott," Deucalion said flatly. "You know me, this is typical attire for myself."

"True." Scott admitted. Although it wasn't until they were actually at the restaurant that everything fell into place. As he looked through the menu it clicked in his mind and Scott's mouth fell open, menu hitting the table with a snap.

"Is this a date?"

The world grew very quiet as both men refused to look at the other. A date. Like a _real_ date, something all couples did. A normal thing. Scott's first date had been at a bowling alley. This was at a casual but upscale restaurant. Nothing was similar but both his face and eyes burned at the thought.

Deucalion straighten his back, coughing as he found his voice and glanced up at Scott. He looked so calm and collected as he spoke, like the past four years hadn't happened, sounding like the man Scott had first met. "I'd rather hoped it could be."

The weight of those words hit Scott and what they meant, what they could mean. He opened his mouth, tried to speak, and was forced to swallow unable to find any words.

"I'll understand if this is too much for you." Deucalion jumped on his indecision. "I don't want to push." And he truly sounded like he meant it, but Scott had gotten good at telling when the man was in pain, and it radiated from his eyes even if the rest of his body screamed that it was okay. Truth was, Scott wanted this. Maybe it was all he'd ever wanted since this thing started.

"This?" he forced out. "No, this is perfect." Scott couldn't smile because then he'd start crying, but the happiness inside him was so intense it was almost painful.

Like watching a sun rise, Deucalion's smile broke out slowly across his face, starting with a light in his eyes before the creases along his cheeks became dimples and Scott realized he'd never seen the older man smile in their entire time of knowing each other. It was almost shy, a bit uncertain, like he didn't have enough practice.

"Perfect? That's a pretty high standard."

"I have faith in you." Scott gave his own sheepish grin and spent the rest of dinner with a warm, bubbly feeling in his stomach that pushed out the hunger and guilt.

"You seemed like you enjoyed that." Deucalion prompted as they left a few hours later. The sun would be setting soon, but there was still plenty of light out.

"I liked that steak." Scott agreed and intertwined his hand with Deucalion's, making the older man jolt. The hand in his was slightly larger, with soft palms and rough fingertips. A memory flitted across Scott's mind at the last time he'd really paid attention to Deucalion's hand and he quickly pulled it closer to him, bringing the fingertips to his face. "I always wondered what this would feel like..." He trailed off at the look Deucalion gave him, or rather how his face changed. He'd closed his eyes the instant his fingers brushed against Scott's cheek, jaw tight and brow furrowed. He felt along the edges of Scott's face, feather light touches on his cheeks, down the bridge of his nose, stopping briefly against his lips. On instinct Scott drew the digits into his mouth and Deucalion was forced to bite his lips to keep quiet.

"Scott!" He frantically whispered and pushed them into a small alleyway. "If you do that again I won't be able to stop myself."

Scott released his fingers and gave a sharp grin. "How did I not find out until now your fingers were that sensitive?"

"I'm surprised you didn't." Deucalion admitted, leaning against the wall breathing heavily. Scott probably shouldn't have provoked him like that during a heat.

"Why'd you close your eyes?" he asked.

"Habit." Deucalion pushed a hand through his hair, mussing it up in a distractedly attractive way. "When I was blind, that was the only way I could 'see' the details of someone's face. Even my wolf vision wasn't that precise. It's a rather intimate gesture."

"Then I don't regret doing it." Scott grinned. Deucalion's hand whipped out and grabbed a fistful of Scott's sweater, dragging the young man forward and crushing their lips together in a demanding kiss. Scott worked his hands under Deucalion's dress shirt to slide them along the bare skin underneath.

"See? I knew we weren't done yet." Scott whispered against the other's mouth. Deucalion nuzzled against Scott's neck, licking and nipping at the flesh. His eyes were bright red and scent drenched in arousal, pressed this close to him Scott could easily feel his erection through their clothes. "Since we're in the phase of trying new things—" Scott thrust forward, making Deucalion whine, "—there's been something I kinda want to try. Let me know what you think." And he slowly slid to his knees, keeping his eyes on the older wolf the entire time.

The look on Deucalion's face was priceless. His jaw slackened immediately and eyes dilated until they were almost completely black. Scott inhaled deeply and shuddered as Deucalion's scent sharpened into an intense swirl of lust, need, desperation, and excitement until it was almost cloying. An erratic heartbeat pounded wildly in Scott's ear and he watched with great satisfaction as Deucalion's entire body trembled in anticipation. Scott leaned forward and gripped the zipper of Deucalion's pants in his teeth gingerly.

"_Scott_..." Deucalion was undone by the action, his voice a wrecked sob. Scott pulled down across the heated bulge, incredibly thankful everything went smoothly as he'd only ever seen this kind of thing done in porn before and didn't know if it worked in real life. This wasn't his first time going down on a person, just a man, but he refused to let his nervousness show and grinned as he mouthed through the open folds of clothes until he could draw out his prize.

"You ever imagine me like this?" Scott edged his beta, running lips against Deucalion's cock now that it was free. He glanced up and saw that his partner's eyes were screwed shut in an attempt not to come. Scott could help with that. "_Look at me_," he ordered. Deucalion's eyes flew open and he bit his lips at the sight of Scott below him. "Don't come until my eyes glow red, got it?" Deucalion nodded gratefully, although it was a double-edged sword. He didn't have to worry about ending things too quickly, but now he couldn't release until Scott's command. "You didn't answer my question."

"A long time ago, _yes_."

"Let's hope I live up to you're expectations." Scott purred, bringing his hands to rest on Deucalion's hips. "I want you to watch me the entire time." He commanded and Deucalion could only tightly nod, hands coming to clench around Scott's shoulders.

Scott swallowed the lingering doubt in the back of his mind and leaned forward, brushing his lips across the tip of Deucalion's head. He swiped his tongue out, happy to see precome already beading at the tip, and trailed a hand up to grip the base of the man's cock. It felt slightly odd, as he opened his mouth to slide the heated flesh into his mouth. His cheeks stretched and Scott had to force his throat to relax, trying desperately not to gag. Deucalion was decidedly better at this than he was. Scott soldiered on, constricting his throat before pulling back to breath.

"Sorry, I'll get better," he apologized and the hands around his shoulders tightened in response. Scott pushed forward again and stuck to drawing only the head of the erection into his mouth, sucking greedily before it popped out of his mouth and he lavished it with slow licks and a hint of teeth. He was slightly disappointed that he couldn't immediately deep-throat Deucalion, but it's not like he had a lot of practice. Scott let his hand join in and danced his fingers across a thick vein running from the base of Deucalion's cock to under the head, his other hand slipped into the fold of clothes to fondle at his sac, rolling it smoothly and pressing with just the right amount of force given Deucalion's choked groan.

With a flick of his nails Scott watched as come started to steadily leak in front of his face and different instincts clawed at him. He _wanted_ so badly to be able to completely swallow his beta and watch Deucalion crumble, but Scott knew his own limitations. He tried a different tactic, darting his head forward and giving quick kitten licks to the tip of Deucalion's member. Soft and delicate he knew would be too little for the older man, edging and teasing him.

Deucalion was rigid above him, trying so hard not to thrust into Scott. His hands had left Scott's shoulders as his claws had snapped out and were currently buried deep within the brick wall he leaned against, panting heavily. A long moan was ripped from him as Scott sucked the tip of his head into his mouth, repeating the action several times before returning to his featherlike licks.

"...most beautiful—perfection." Scott caught the tail end of something Deucalion was muttering under his breath. "_My alpha_—" The words touched something deep in Scott's chest, like a fire and next thing the young man realized he had managed to swallow half of Deucalion down, throat seizing and clenching around the intrusion.

"Shit..._Scott_." The way he said it made Scott shiver and the primal part of his mind sink himself further onto the man's erection until he had swallowed the entire length. It was difficult to breathe and his neck hurt at the odd angle but Scott was proud he managed at least this. "_Fuck!_" Scott glanced up and met Deucalion's eyes, eyes that were solely focused on him, mesmerized by the sight before him and Scott hummed a question in the back of his throat and watched it destroy the man in front of him.

Scott's eyes glowed a bright red and he felt the skin in his mouth twitch and tighten as something splashed against the back of his throat, almost tickling. It kicked his reflexes into gear and Scott yanked himself back, coughing somewhat dramatically as his throat closed. Trying to swallow his first time had been a bad idea. It was a little embarrassing, he wasn't hurt, he just couldn't breathe.

Hands grabbed his shoulders to steady Scott and he took shaky gulps of air. "Sorry," he croaked a second later. "That's harder than you make it look." There was a snort of laughter before Deucalion pulled him forward into a powerful hug.

"Foolish, trying to show off." It sounded like the old Deucalion if not for the thread of worry in his voice. Scott didn't mind. As he pushed away, Deucalion ran a hand down his neck, eyes full of worry. "I—I'm sorry, I should have pushed you back. I just—"

"I made you lose control?" Scott grinned back and Deucalion huffed.

"Clearly."

"I'll do better next time." Scott promised, letting Deucalion help him stand up. He watched as the man tucked himself back in, a light blush still across his face.

"I'm not sure if my body can take that." The small smile gracing Deucalion's face lit up Scott's entire world.

"We're definitely going to have to play around with this role-reversal some more." Deucalion buried his head into Scott's shoulder and whined quietly, scent spiking yet again. "Maybe we should go home and try again?"

"You'll be the death of me, Scott." The young man intertwined their fingers again and they walked back out into the street. The sun was on the brink of setting, they had maybe another hour of light. Plenty of time to get home. "Perhaps we can take a shortcut?"

"Shortcut?" Scott let Deucalion tug him off the sidewalk and into the surrounding forest. The shadows were long at this time of the day, and the sun cast the world in a golden light. Deucalion's hand was warm in his and held tight, pulling him along.

A breeze ruffled at his hair and Scott blinked, memory sparking in his mind and for a moment he was in a different place, at a different time, and Allison was in front of him, smiling shyly.

Scott smiled. For once he was content on seeing the past. They were back in Beacon Hills and he was a teenager again, barely more than a boy with his ratty old hoodie on. There was no sadness in Allison's eyes yet, no darkness or the weight of responsibility.

"Scott." She giggled and it made his heart flutter. "I'm so happy for you."

Deucalion made him feel this way too.

"But you need to pay attention." Scott blinked again, harder. This was more than a memory. Even though Allison was still smiling her voice was serious. "Look out."

"What?" A coldness seized Scott's heart.

"_Scott pay attention!_" The world snapped into focus and Scott's senses became razor sharp, too late did he sense it.

"Deucalion!" Scott threw himself at the older man just as a gunshot rang through the air. He winced as something grazed his shoulder and the scent of wolfsbane made his blood run cold. Both men tumbled to the ground and Scott used his body as a shield.

"Scott!" Deucalion was frantic underneath, able to smell the wolfsbane as well.

"Step out where I can see you." Scott growled to the shadows and trees. Deucalion grew still as he scented out the area and his eyes turned red in rage.

"_Hunters_."

"Not just any, Scott." Chris Argent slipped out from behind a large oak, gun in hand. "Looks like your reaction time has improved since I last saw you."

"No..." Panic clouded Scott's vision and he felt his body freeze. In an instant Deucalion was in front of him, snarling dangerously. "If you're here—"

"There was a rumor that you and your pack had returned to America." Chris shrugged. At his gesture, the rest of his team appeared from the trees. Nearly twenty, far too many for Scott to handle. He sagged as he realized he hadn't been vigilant enough. They had stayed in this town for too long, he hadn't done enough research, hadn't kept his ear to the ground, hadn't looked at hunter movements since returning. This was _his_ fault.

"Did Allison order this?" he asked, voice small. Chris paused and his smirk slipped just slightly, as if he hadn't expected Scott to ask that.

"She's in charge of the west coast units now, I'm not sure if word's reached her yet. I happened to be in the area and the Argent matriarch of the east coast recruited me for this. It's been a long time coming." He stepped forward and Scott felt as Deucalion prepared to lunge.

He quickly shifted his eyes to red and growled. "_Don't attack_." He made it an order.

"They mean to kill us." Deucalion whispered furiously, body fighting against the restraint. "I won't let them harm you." Scott sighed, Deucalion was blinded by the heat. Normally he would have seen their disadvantage; he never simply lashed out at enemies.

"There's too many." And Chris had wolfsbane bullets. He didn't even need to hit them in a critical area to kill. "What's your exact mission?" Scott questioned as he stood up.

"Would my answer make a difference?" Chris asked, frowning.

"Depends," Scott answered carefully. "Are you just after me or my entire pack?"

"Scott, what are you doing?" Deucalion hissed and stood up as well, whirling around to face him.

"Interesting that you would ask," Chris mused and took a step forward. "More interesting that you would care."

"Is it? They're my friends, my family." Scott ignored the man next to him and focused on Chris. "Who were you specifically ordered to kill?"

"You."

"I'll destroy you first—" Deucalion started but Scott cut him off.

"You've cornered the two strongest wolves in my pack. He's right, most of you will die." Scott glanced around and took in the numbers again. "You'll win, but most of you will die."

"We were prepared for that." Chris said sharply. "But I get the feeling you want to say more."

"If I go with you willingly, nobody dies." As soon as Scott had seen that it was Chris attacking him, the solution had appeared in his mind. A way to finally make up for all his mistakes, all the pain he had caused others. He could finally be free of this crushing guilt.

"_What?_" Deucalion's voice held betrayal in it and Scott couldn't blame him. He grabbed Scott by the collar of his shirt and forced their eyes to meet. "You do _not_ get to do this."

"Looks like it doesn't matter what you want, Scott." Chris chuckled and Scott watched as his hunters prepared to attack. "Your beta is too loyal to let this happen."

Scott ducked his head. "I know." He felt Deucalion let go of him, instead sliding his hand up the side of Scott's face. He sucked in a deep breath and steeled himself. "That's why I'm making it an order." He lifted his eyes and met Deucalion's as they widened in shock. "During a heat, none of my wolves can disobey me."

"Indeed." Chris suddenly looked very interested and motioned his team to lower their weapons. "I've heard about that ability, but I've never seen it used in such a way before."

"If I leave with you willingly, promise not to go after my pack. It's just me you need."

"Looks like you remember my distaste for needless bloodshed." Chris said and lowered his eyes. "And that's...a very selfless thing to do."

"Do I have your promise?"

"Yes—"

"_Scott, you'll die!_" Deucalion interrupted, eyes wild. "Stop this idiocy, now. You're behaving like a fucking child. This will accomplish nothing!" He couldn't understand, Scott hadn't told him of the guilt that was eating at him more than the darkness ever had. He'd been stupid to think he would get a happy ending.

"Maybe this is for the best...after everything I did—" he tried to say but Deucalion grabbed him by the shirt again and shook him, desperate.

"I told you, if you must pay for your crimes then so should I!"

The answer came to Scott immediately and he knew what to do. "No you don't." Deucalion opened his mouth to argue. "I can pay for both of us. I took your darkness, I can take this too." He smiled sadly; it was cruelest thing he could have said.

"Please don't do this," Deucalion bowed his own head, begging. Scott felt his heart splinter, jagged edges tearing at his chest.

Coward. He was such a coward. He was supposed to have all these amazing and superior traits of a werewolf and in the end he was just a man. A flawed young man who was too much a coward to meet the eyes of the person he loved as he sent them away. He turned his head towards Chris.

"Sorry, Deucalion. Run to the pack now, don't look back." He glanced back to his beta and ran a hand one last time through his hair. "And don't cry. I don't deserve it."

"Stupid boy." Deucalion didn't raise his eyes to meet Scott's. Fitting last words, he supposed.

"_Now_, please."

Deucalion tore away from him. Turned and ran through the trees to where Scott knew their house was. He watched Chris' men carefully, but none tried to attack Deucalion's retreating form and he relaxed slightly.

"He might hate you for the rest of his life." Chris commented, eyes closed off. Scott shrugged.

"He should, he saw the worst side of me."

"That wasn't hate I saw just now." Chris finally walked up to him, scanning Scott closely. Judging him.

"I'd rather not talk about it," Scott said. He was ready for it to be over. He slowed his pulse down, calmed his heart and nerves, took a deep breath. This was what _should_ happen. Bad guys are punished for their mistakes; they die. He couldn't take back everything he had done over the years, but he could pay for it.

Out of the corner of his eye Scott saw one of the hunters lift their gun and closed his eyes, waiting. He might be the bad guy but he wished—

"One second." Chris said and Scott's eyes snapped open. "Just give me a moment to talk to him, for my daughter's sake. They used to be close." Scott squinted, tilting his head. The hunters muttered among themselves but Chris sent them a harsh glare and the one aiming the gun at Scott sighed and lowered it. Chris grabbed Scott's shoulder and moved him further off into the forest next to the bank of a large river, still within sight of the hunters, but out of earshot. Scott regarded the man in front of him.

"That was a lie," he started. Chris glanced over to him and shrugged. He had a few more lines on his face, but otherwise appeared the same from the last time Scott had seen him.

"My heartbeat tell you that?"

"Yes," Scott frowned, "but I didn't need it to. You're not doing this for Allison, I'm just a bad memory to her. You're doing this for you, but why?"

Chris gave a dry chuckle. "Guess I just want my own answers." He paused and sent Scott another calculated look. "You're less of a bad memory to Alison than a cautionary tale, as a friend of mine once was to me. I think, more than anything, she regrets not being able to save you." A bitter taste rose in Scott, like bile it burned the back of his throat. More reminders of the people he had failed. "I don't think she hates you, though."

"She should."

"That's just a common theme for you, isn't it?" Chris observed. "You wear self-hate well."

"Is this going anywhere?" Scott was done with Chris' stalling tactics. He knew what was going to happen; he hadn't ordered Deucalion to _not_ come back. If Scott knew the older man—and he did—Deucalion was just as stubborn as him and would gather the pack to return and fight the hunters, ending the peace he had brokered and probably killing everyone. "We don't have much time left," Scott warned.

"Do you know the stories of yourself and your pack, out in the world?" Chris asked instead. Scott rolled his eyes, irritation clear on his face.

"Sure: there's a killer boy with his bloodthirsty alpha pack wiping out anyone he runs across."

"That's a pretty tame tale, at least compared to what I've heard. What the men behind us have heard."

"Not sure why it concerns hunters so much," Scott said. "I deal mainly in wolf affairs."

"And the countless hunters you've slaughtered?" A hint of anger crept into Chris's voice at last. Scott noticed his posture change, becoming more aggressive.

"I don't know if I'd say countless." Scott looked at the ground, considering. "We weren't even interested in humans when Kali told me of the ambush. I decided on a preemptive strike. We attacked and left, the fact that hunters still came after us was their own fault."

"You had to be stopped, Scott. You were tearing through cities and causing massive destruction. I read my cousin's notes, all of us have."

"What notes?" Scott asked. "What destruction?" He thought back, trying to remember those first few months. Yes, he had killed countless werewolves, but not humans. Wolves tended to have their confrontations outside, away from prying human eyes so Scott was unsure of what destruction Chris referred to.

"She'd been tracking you for months, Scott. Documented every city you had been to and all the lives you claimed."

"You do that for wolf packs?" It made sense, Scott guessed. To track which packs were destroyed or if they moved, but still— "I kept tabs on the hunters around me. I was never tracked until I settled for a month in Brazil, humans weren't of an interest to me."

"Not just the wolves you went after, the humans who got caught in the middle." Chris crossed his arms. "If you'd just gone after wolves that's one thing, I don't deal in your internal affairs, but you know my code—" And he stepped close to Scott then, voice menacing. "_I protected those who cannot protect themselves_."

"I understand that." Scott bit back. Those were Allison's words, her code. "I'm not going to lie and say I couldn't bring myself to kill a human back then, I did so with ease when your cousin attacked me, but that was the only time. I simply didn't care about humans, they were beneath my notice. When you hunt wolves do you kill random animals that you see? No? See, same as me. I don't know what bullshit you were fed, but I didn't kill humans for fun. I regret all the lives that I took—all the alphas and their packs I massacred, but your cousin's the only one I don't. She was gathering an army! She already had close to fifty hunters with her, I wasn't going to wait for more to show up. Like you said earlier: needless slaughter."

"Why lie now, when you're about to die?" Chris fumed at him. "She had proof. She sent copies of her journal to the entire Argent family before you attacked her."

"Why would she send out copies of a personal journal right before I surprised her by my attack? It's not like any of your family would lie or falsify evidence to justify attacking werewolves, right?" Scott spit out. That Argent hunter, she'd been the same as Gerard. Lying to both sides to get the outcome she wanted. Either she would have killed Scott and been hailed a hero or died and condemned him with her journal of all his sins. "Why _would_ I lie? I've got nothing to live for, no more secrets! I've admitted I'm a horrible person who needs to die for their actions, why would I omit this one thing?"

Scott pushed a hand through his hair, frustrated and blew out a harsh sigh. Why was he fighting? He should listen to his own advice. The sun had finally started to set, sinking below the tree line and making the shadows longer. Deucalion might have reached home by now.

"You know what? Never mind. It doesn't matter. Yeah, you can put those sins on me too, it won't matter in a minute." Scott looked back down to his hands. He'd gotten slightly paler from spending the past few months inside, the crisscross of white scars covered his arms seemed to stand out. He closed his eyes and thought of calloused fingertips running down his face. "C-can we just get this over with?"

"Maybe you haven't changed as much as I thought." Chris admitted and Scott resisted the urge to open his eyes. He wanted the discussion to be over with. "I don't think that this is as much about your guilt over everything that's happened, as it is about your guilt over a certain person." Scott jerked, eyes flying open and he knew he'd given himself away. Chris shook his head.

"Just as I thought, I saw the way you two were with each other." He spoke of Deucalion. "More importantly, I saw the way you looked at him. You care enough to die for that man, but you also _want_ to die for him. That doesn't happen without great remorse."

"I—" He didn't know what he was trying to say. Only that the shame ate at him even more with what he was thinking. "Is it wrong that I feel more guilt from hurting just one person over all the others I've killed?"

"Honestly, I think the fact that you feel remorse at all is a good sign," Chris said. "You're...telling the truth about my cousin, aren't you?"

"I told you, it doesn't matter."

"It does to _me_." Chris' eyes flashed. Scott's eyes flared red in response but he tamped down his emotions.

"Yes, I'm telling the truth." Still a bit of a reckless teenager, Scott rolls his eyes again. Whatever needed to be said to make Chris Argent happy and to stop wasting time.

"I see," Chris replied softly. He looked sad, and a little angry. Fooled by a family member again. It had to keep hurting, making the same mistake. Scott looked away.

"Please Mr. Argent, you know Deucalion will try to come back with my pack. You need to be gone by then."

"Yeah." A heavy hand landed on Scott's shoulder and he jumped, startled. "You need to go, Scott." It took the young man an embarrassingly long time to figure out the hunter was telling him to leave, not that he had to die.

"What?" he asked, just to clarify.

"Go Scott, get out of here." Chris pushed him slightly but Scott refused to budge.

"What are you talking about?" He looked back through the trees where the rest of the hunters were gathered and waiting. "I'm supposed to—"

"Die? Stop being stupid," Chris cut him off, voice harsh. "Just as I'm talking to you for me—for answers, you're doing this for you. To die and pay for what you've done. You want to feel redeemed and take the easy way out." Scott felt a snarl slip out of him at the insult and tried to ignore the burn in his eyes. "If you _truly_ wanted penance you'd try to be a better person, a better alpha."

"But I don't deserve to—" Chris slapped him. The world went numb and Scott's ears started to buzz as he blinked in shock. He couldn't remember the last time he was slapped.

"You're being a child." Chris put his hand on Scott's shoulder again and the young man flinched, but the hunter's eyes had softened. "I regret my early time as a hunter. I tried desperately to hang on to a code that was already being abused to feel better about myself, but after seeing Gerard and what he made Kate, what he was doing to me and how he was using all of us to fuel his blinding hatred to kill...it's a hard thing to realize your own father killed and had you kill dozens of innocent people. I was lost. My wife and sister were dead and I couldn't find a reason to keep being a hunter."

"...but Allison..."

"...gave us a new code and a new reason to move forward," Chris smiled and Scott could see the pride for his daughter in it. He thought of Allison's smile and his heart twisted. Chris and Allison's smiles were the same. "She became her own anchor and I followed suit. From there I've sought to be a better person, father, and hunter. It's not always easy, but things worth having rarely are."

"I..." Scott wiped furiously at his face as a tear fell. He didn't know, he just didn't know anymore. It had been so long since he felt sure of himself and now he was being offered a chance to make up for his mistakes. He wanted to live, he wanted to be with Deucalion and his pack, he didn't want to die, but he should. It's what he deserved. "Bad guys don't get happy endings," he finally muttered. Chris chuckled gently.

"Sorry to break this to you, but you're not a bad guy." Chris' hand moved up to ruffle Scott's hair and it was such a parental gesture that Scott had to wipe away more tears. He missed his mother more than ever. "You can do this, Scott."

"Yeah, ok." Scott took a deep breath.

"Fight to be better," Chris encouraged and pushed Scott away again. "Now ru—"

"Argent!" Chris and Scott both jerked as one of the other hunters came stomping over to them. "What the hell are you doing?" He pulled out his gun.

"Scott, _run_!" Chris yelled as he drew out his own pistol.

"Fucking traitor!" The hunter yelled as the two men leveled their guns at each other. Scott was torn.

"What about you?" he tried to call to Chris.

"I'll be fine, now run!" the man snapped at him and Scott turned, planning to leap across the river to make his escape. He heard the sound of a gun going off but didn't expect the white hot jolt of pain to sear through his leg and he collapsed with a cry, clutching at his left thigh. The scent of wolfsbane made his head spin and Scott realized he was a dead man.

"_Scott!_" More gunfire went off as Chris shot the hunter in front of him. The others started coming through the clearing and he was forced to roll behind a tree for shelter. Scott watched as the older man fumbled with his gun and removed a bullet. "Scott, here!" Chris threw him one of his wolfsbane bullets, a cure for the one currently coursing through his body. The air was filled with the sound of bullets as Scott reached out, hand straining to catch it when something brushed against his neck.

It only felt like a gust of wind or a hand sliding across his skin but Scott suddenly saw blood everywhere, all around him in a large puddle that steadily grew. His body had already gone numb and he slowly lifted his hand to his neck, feeling himself grow light-headed at the sensation of his own blood squirting through his fingers. This was too much blood too fast.

Scott stumbled, feet landing in the water and the pressure of the current pushed against him. Chris was firing back at the hunters and yelled something to him, but Scott couldn't hear. Looked like he got his wish; he got to die a villain. The water pulled him under and Scott winced as he felt the bite of wolfsbane in his bloodstream. His vision started to black out. This was just like when Deaton pushed him down in that bathtub, it felt the same, darkness creeping into his sight and claiming him.

He hoped Chris wouldn't die too.

.

.

_To be continued..._

* * *

A/N:

...ahem. Sorry for the cliffhanger.


	12. Chapter 12

Derek sighed loudly to alleviate some of the stress. His skin felt too hot and tight for him to fit in; he flexed his arms and rolled his shoulders. Ethan giggled behind him and the older boy almost snapped.

"_What_ do you two want?" his voice dripped with venom.

"I've never seen a werewolf so frustrated that he started doing dishes." Aiden snorted. Both twins were lounging on the couch watching him with rapt fascination as Derek angrily scrubbed at soapy dishes and muttered to himself.

"Fuck you both." He replied eloquently.

"I can't believe you're not happy for our alpha." Ethan shook his head. "I've never seen Scott happier. Or Deucalion."

"It-it's not that," Derek defended.

"He's upset that he's no longer the favorite," Aiden teased. "You're not the only one who can touch him anymore."

"That's _not_ it." Derek swore to himself he wouldn't break any dishes. Mainly because Kali really liked the design and would kill him if he did.

"I wish they'd hurry up," Ethan admitted. "It's the first time Scott's letting us touch him during a heat, it's really nice."

"What, so you can cuddle him again? He's our alpha, not a pillow." Aiden scoffed. Derek heard without listening as the twins bickered. Seemed like Scott really did have the rest of the pack fooled, or maybe they just weren't worried.

He was.

For how close the rest of the pack believed Scott and Deucalion were, it was the older wolf that was most blind when it came to Scott. Derek knew depression, knew what it looked and sounded like, how it came in ebbs and flows, not a constant stream. Derek had seen the signs in Scott for a long time now, but nobody else appeared worried. They either seems to think it was a phase or that Scott could simply be fixed.

That was not how depression worked.

Worse, Scott's depression came from guilt and Derek knew firsthand how that felt. He'd been hoping Scott's growing relationship with Deucalion would help, and it did at times, but then it also seemed to make things worse. Deucalion was the reason for so much of Scott's guilt. His alpha would break at some point and Derek refused to let that happen. He should try to talk to Scott sometime today or tomorrow.

"—even Kali came back early. I hope all our future heats are this smooth." Ethan continued as Derek's attention came back to their conversation.

"Think they'll start a courtship?" Aiden asked suddenly and Derek snorted with laughter.

"I don't think Scott even knows what that is."

"Oh yeah..." Ethan sighed. Aiden frowned and crossed his arms, determined to think of something. Derek huffed and rolled his eyes as he went back to the dishes. God, he really was becoming domesticated—

The door slammed open with such force that the hinges almost fell off. Derek jerked, soapy water flying, as both twins tumbled off the couch in a flurry of confusion. The intruder was Deucalion, doubled over and gasping for breath.

Something terrible had happened.

"What the fuck—" Kali yelled as she stomped downstairs.

"Hunters." Deucalion cut her off, the pure panic in his voice made Derek's blood run cold. "_Scott_." When he looked up his eyes were wild and heavy with pain. "He forced me to run."

Derek was already out the door. The wind ripped around him as he followed Deucalion's scent into the forest. Stupid. Scott was stupid. _He_ was stupid for waiting so long to talk. He couldn't—Scott couldn't die. Not like this. Distantly he heard the rest of the pack following.

"Why would he do that!?" Ethan seemed the most confused, his voice small and hurt.

"He's being a fucking idiot." Kali cursed. Derek jumped as he felt Deucalion run up besides him; the older wolf should be exhausted and unable to keep up with him. Derek and Scott were the fastest out of the entire pack.

"I thought he ordered you away?"

"Didn't order me not to return." Deucalion responded shortly. "Maybe...he meant—" Derek doubted Scott meant for Deucalion to come back and save him, but he couldn't bring himself to say the words. Scott was trying to sacrifice himself, he was trying to take the _easy_ way out.

Derek wouldn't let him.

They raced through the forest, the pounding of the pack's heartbeats loud in Derek's ears. The world a blur of color and smells, like a kaleidoscope nothing was in focus until a certain scent halted Derek in his tracks.

Blood.

Scott's blood. Gunpowder and human sweat coated the area as well, but the sharpest scent was blood.

"Scott!" Deucalion's voice made Derek wince. The older wolf was completely panicked, eyes wild as he searched.

"Hunters?" Kali asked, voice strained but calm. Derek scanned the forest with red eyes but everybody seemed to be gone, Scott included.

_"Scott!"_

Derek swallowed the lump in his throat. He looked up at the sky as the last slivers of light peaked through the trees, illuminating a river. A feeling of dread pulled Derek's feet towards it, his senses on overload and he blinked when he came upon a large bloodstain. _Too large_. A hit in an artery or jugular to bleed that much. Wolfsbane bit at his nose and Derek forced himself to turn away.

"Guys..." His voice cracked, he could barley keep his composure. His friend, his alpha, his brother. Derek was left behind again, trying to track down someone he loved only to find them dead.

The pack ran up to him. "Th-that's a lot of blood..." Ethan trailed off as the scent hit him. Scott's scent. "_No_."

"There had to be at least 20 hunters here. I don't—" Kali kicked at the ground, sending a shower of bloodied pebbles into the river. "Why the fuck—stupid child! Pointless! Just pointless!" She turned away and continued to yell, claws and fangs bared. Derek let her vent, let her mourn.

Ethan had run into the river, still searching. Aiden followed him, but his face was closed off and blank.

"He probably jumped into the river to lose the hunters!" Ethan called out to the others. "If we just go down river we'll find him waiting!"

"Ethan..." Aiden tried to reach out for him brother but the twin shook him off.

"He's injured! We have to go now!"

"Ethan, stop."

"_Let go of me!_"

Derek watched both men break down simultaneously as Adain finally grabbed a hold of his brother. Derek blinked again as he realized he'd started crying. A crunch of gravel pulled him away from the brothers and he saw Deucalion had kneeled where the bloodstain was, quiet but hands clenched and shaking by his knees. The amount of pain in his eyes tore at Derek's chest, making it hard to breath.

"Deucalion?" It was odd, after his frantic yelling earlier Derek hadn't expected Deucalion to take Scott's death so...quietly. The older man's hands dug into the dirt beneath him, claws out but completely silent. His eyes finally met Derek's.

"He ordered me not to cry, I-I can't—" Deucalion's voice choked off and he lowered his head, bangs falling across his eyes. Derek felt his heart stutter and couldn't understand why Scott would do something that cruel. He stood next to a river and watched as Deucalion's body shook violently, eyes squeezed shut in agony, but unable to do more.

It started to sprinkle; clouds unnoticed in the fading light. Derek listened to the sound of his pack mourning and felt a gaping hole in his chest. Deucalion couldn't cry, but _he_ could. He screamed, howled long and bloody until his lungs were about to burst. Derek tried to put his anger, misery, betrayal, confusion, and pain into it. His entire body hurt when he finally drew breath again, ragged and hoarse. He looked up towards the moon that was just beginning to shine, peaking from behind clouds and wondered why Scott—why _everybody_—kept leaving him.

Why was it his curse to outlive the people he loved?

The pain turned to anger and the anger became fury. _Hunters_. They took—his mother, his family—now _Scott_. Derek's body burned and his eyes darkened to a blood red. Kill. He had to kill them all.

"_Derek_." Kali's voice was as raw as Derek felt, but the rage in her eyes matched his. Blood dripped from her palms as she clenched her hands, claws out and digging into her skin. "We hunt."

"We don't rest until all of the humans are dead," he agreed. The twins looked back and forth between the two of them, their misery still outweighing their anger. "We _make_ them pay."

"No." Deucalion stood up suddenly and Derek frowned, unable to believe what he was hearing.

"You—" His breath left him in a whoosh as Deucalion slammed into him, the sound of gunfire roaring in his ears.

"_Ambush!_" Deucalion yelled, shielding Derek with his own body. Derek felt the spray of dirt as bullets pelted the ground around him. Shit, they'd been so focused on Scott no one had noticed the hunters lying in wait. The stench of blood had covered their scent and Derek's own grief had blinded his other senses. Fool.

Kali screamed, sounding feral and charged at the nearest hunters. It was futile for Derek to call after her, she was lost to bloodlust and revenge. He struggled to his feet, anger welling up in his gut as he prepared to charge.

"There's too many." Deucalion cautioned, voice harsh and strained. Regular bullets bounced off of him as he shielded Derek. "Retreat would be wise—Ethan!" He yelled out to the twins, both at a disadvantage thigh deep in fast-running water.

"We're fine!" Aiden returned, both young men fully transformed and savage, throwing stones with the force of bullets. They had taken shelter behind a large outcropping of rocks jutting from the middle of the river. Derek whirled upon Deucalion.

"Retreat?" he hissed.

"Unless you'd like for the rest of the pack to be killed like dogs." Deucalion answered sharply. Derek growled, wincing as a bullet whizzed past him too close for comfort. "We can't win like this Derek. This isn't justice, its suicide and we'll end up dead and Scott unavenged!" That finally got through. Derek glared at the older wolf but saw the wisdom in his words. Scott had sacrificed himself so they wouldn't die, Derek couldn't fuck this up now.

"Retreat!" He sounded out, crouching low as more bullets flew his way. Deucalion was the only one that seemed immune. The smell of wolfsbane quickly brought that thought crashing down and Deucalion flinched as one ripped through his arm. Derek grabbed him and threw them both behind a tree. "Fall back now!" He looked over Deucalion's arm.

"It's fine, went right through. No poison." The man shook him off with a growl. "I got lucky, but if they keep firing wolfsbane that'll end quick."

"Kali now!" Derek ordered. He saw as the she-wolf ripped out one hunter's throat before darting into the forest, making her way towards them.

"I don't see Argent anywhere." Deucalion noted distantly. "His scent's gone."

"Who cares—Aiden, Ethan!" Both twins struggled to move through the water, hesitant to move from their cover and into the open. Rock and water splashed around them as bullets riddled the surrounding area. "They're trapped." Derek felt his voice catch.

Hunters began to emerge from the trees, circling the wolves and leaving little room for escape. Kali appeared next to Derek, out of breath and drenched in human blood.

"It's hopeless." she noted. "Best to charge and take as many as we can."

"_No_." Derek clenched his teeth, fangs showing. "We have to survive this!"

"I'll draw their fire away from the twins." Deucalion interrupted, preparing to sprint. "Wolfsbane bullets are a precious resource, very few of the hunters actually have them. Once they cross the river, run and regroup."

"Oh god," Kali rolled her eyes, "I can smell the chivalry dripping off you. Going to nobly throw yourself into the line of fire while we run? Typical. The boy rubbed off on you."

"Deucalion, don't—" Derek never got to finish that sentence. The twins acted before anyone else could as Aiden charged at the hunters closing in on them. Ethan made a break for the rest of the pack, eyes haunted, and Derek watched as the events played out in front of him.

Aiden made it to the other shore before being hit with a cascade of bullets in the chest and fell. Ethan nearly made it to them before a bullet pieced his right knee as he collapsed with a cry. Kali was there in an instant and dragged him into the shadows of the trees.

"_Aiden!_" There was cold terror in Deucalion's voice as he leapt out to help and Derek found their positions reversed as he tackled the man to the ground, knowing it was too late already. "No—"

The gunfire ceased momentarily as the air went still. Kali and Ethan lay under a tree as she tried to staunch the bleeding. Derek and Deucalion were sprawled in the dirt as Deucalion struggled to reach Aiden; the young man lay in the sand of the opposite shore that grew red with his blood, breathing shallow and pained. The hunter stepped over him and cocked his gun.

Derek felt frozen as he heard the gun click and fire. Deucalion's scream was drowned out by a roar and that's when everything went to hell.

.

* * *

.

There was a blur of motion and blood spayed everywhere. Derek must have jerked in shock because he found himself knocked back, face pressed against leaves and twigs. He twisted around, blinking and trying to rub the dirt from his vision, eyes widening when he saw a hulking wolf standing over Aiden, snarling at the hunters. Blood dripped from it's head where the bullet had grazed.

For a moment Derek imagined dark, matted fur and a slightly hunched back, but the wolf wasn't Scott's form. This one was just as large, but it's fur was a thick luscious gray and white, body muscular with large paws and an exceptionally fluffy tail.

"Aiden!" Deucalion called out and everybody snapped from their stupor. The wolf became another blur and tore through the hunters closest to it. Aiden flinched at the commotion and tried to curl to make himself less of a target. Deucalion tore away from Derek and made for the younger man.

"Well I'll be damned," Kali chuckled from close by. "A gray wolf. Not surprising."

"How could that possibly be unsurprising!" Derek threw at her.

"They're common here in Michigan." Kali suddenly appeared next to Derek, helping a limping Ethan. "To it, we smell like fellow wolves and it probably thinks it's protecting pack." Derek glanced over to see Deucalion had made it to the other side of the river and dragged Aiden back behind a large driftwood tree that was on the shore bank as the hunters had turned their attention to the rampaging gray wolf. Wolfsbane would have little affect on a regular wolf, although normal bullets would be just fine...if they could find their target.

The wolf was never still, darting faster than the eye could see and decimating the crowd of men. The hunters tried to scatter but that was when Deucalion struck, ripping into them as their backs were turned.

"I have to help." Derek rushed headlong into the fray, practically leaping over the river to come crashing down on a fleeing hunter. He tore the gun out of the man's hand and slashed out his throat, uncaring as blood drenched his shirt. As distasteful as it was, Derek lifted the gun and started picking off the hunters that had made it to the trees. He wasn't used to using a weapon but the long range of the gun was useful. The gray wolf took off after the last of the hunters disappeared into the forest, only the yells and screams of men it chased indicating it was still hunting.

"Aiden!" Ethan called out as Kali helped him across the river. Derek dropped the gun and rushed over to the fallen wolf. Deucalion beat him and roughly grabbed the young man's blood soaked shirt.

"What were you thinking, you idiot!" His fangs were still extended and Aiden flinched, eyes filled with tears. Derek grabbed Deucalion's wrist.

"_Calm down_," he ordered. It had little effect, Deucalion submitted only to one alpha.

"We lost one of the pack already!" Deucalion shook Aiden, voice cracking. "You think sacrificing yourself would have truly saved your brother!?"

"I'm sorry—"

"Did you even think before you threw your life away?"

"Deucalion!" Derek snarled and snapped at Deucalion's neck. The distraction worked and he dropped Aiden, eyes flaring red as he growled at the challenge. "Aiden's _not_ the one you're really upset at."

"I—" Deucalion's mask of anger slipped for a second and Derek saw the anguish underneath.

"I'm sorry," Aiden repeated, openly crying now. "I'm sorry." Deucalion's whole body suddenly sagged and he collapsed in the sand next to the young man.

"You foolish boy," he muttered. "Remember that others would suffer if you died." Aiden nodded, wiping at his face.

"Aiden!" Ethan and Kali finally reached them and the twin dropped next to his brother, clutching his shoulders. "He's right, you were being fucking stupid."

"I take after our alpha," Aiden said quietly, coughing up blood immediately after.

"I got it," Kali sighed as she leaned down and brushed her hand across Aiden's neck. Black veins rose from her skin as she took his pain.

"Y-you don't have to—" Ethan tried to reach out but she batted his hand away.

"You're injured, loser, concentrate on healing yourself first."

"We were fortunate." Deucalion spoke up after a long moment of silence. The screams of the hunters had finally faded and Derek knew they were all dead. "We would have died if not for that wolf."

"Lucky for us," Kali grinned. It was strained from the pain but genuine. "Tore those hunters apart like they deserved. _Justice_."

"Why was he alone?" Ethan asked, massaging his knee as the wound slowly closed up. "Where's his pack?"

"Depending on his age he may have left it and is looking to start a new one." Deucalion answered mutely, eyes unfocused as he gazed off into the distance.

"Speaking of which..." Derek pointed off further down the shore where a gray wolf sprung out from the bushes. It's head tilted and it scented the air before turning towards them and carefully making its way over.

"It apparently likes us." Kali commented. The wolf stopped a few yards away, body language cautious as it looked them over.

"Thank you." Aiden called out and Ethan snorted.

"It can't understand you, moron."

"Shut up, I can still thank it."

"We should move out." Kali pulled her hand away, sighing deeply. "The stench is almost unbearable. Human blood mixed with wolfsbane, ugh."

"I agree." Derek said. "Are you two alright to move?"

"I think." Aiden sat up and winced, blood seeping through his shirt anew. "Maybe not..."

"I'll help him, my knee is mostly healed now." Ethan stood and grabbed his brother's shoulder, supporting Aiden as he focused on healing. "Idiot, you're hurt bad."

"Learned it from our alpha," he grinned but it died after a moment and both brother's went quiet.

"Deucalion?" Derek saw the older wolf was still lost in thought. He looked out and saw the blood-soaked ground surrounding them, bodies strewn across the sand and rocks. The sun was finally gone and the sprinkling had intensified, the moon peaked from behind the clouds and lit up small patches of the river. It was beautiful and horrifying. "Deuc—"

"We can leave," was said so softly Derek thought he'd imagined it. He reached out to touch Deucalion but the man growled. "_Don't_." Derek let his hand drop. The wolf perked up at the motion and made it's way closer.

"He wants to be pack?" Ethan held out his hand. The wolf padded up and sniffed it, pressing its head against his palm a moment later. "He's bleeding."

"It's where he got shot protecting me." Aiden confirmed and reached out to pet it too. "Look, he also got hit in the leg and the fur around his neck is red."

"Just leave it," Kali said, arms crossed. "The mutt will find another pack."

"Harsh bitch," Aiden muttered. The wolf wagged its tail at his undertone and promptly stopped, turning its head as if in surprise.

"What? First time you've seen it?" Ethan asked and the wolf answered in a huff, causing both young men to smile. Derek knew what they were doing; it was a distraction. Nobody wanted to get up and start back home, no one wanted to return to the reality where their alpha was dead.

"Let's go." Derek agreed with Kali and turned to leave. The rain was light but it had still drenched through his clothes. He wanted to go home and take a shower, rinse off the scent of blood and pretend his brother wasn't washed further down the river. He wouldn't even get to bury Scott. "_Come on_." The twins finally heeded his command and began to move out with Kali. Derek looked down at Deucalion again. "We can't stay here."

"I know." His voice was hollow and empty. The wolf looked up at their voices and moved closer, focusing its attention on Deucalion. The older man regarded it. "A _gray_ wolf?"

"It came and helped us, remember?" Derek tried to keep the alarm out of his voice. Deucalion and Scott hadn't been mates, but Derek had heard horrible stories about what death did to that type of connection. How the severed bond caused the remaining wolf to go insane, or lose the will to live completely.

The wolf stuck its snout in Deucalion's face and scented him out, licking at his cheek a second later, tail wagging once more. It abruptly stopped, again, and looked at it's tail curiously.

"Anubis?" Deucalion asked and the wolf's ears twitched. It sat back and whined, head tilting. Derek stepped forward and grabbed Deucalion by the arm, dragging him up.

"Focus," Derek pleaded. "Don't fall apart like this." The wolf watched the two of them, eyes a soft brown. Derek swallowed tightly as they reminded him of Scott. He pulled Deucalion with him as they waded into the river, the rest of the pack on the other side already.

"He's following you." Ethan pointed and Derek glanced behind to see the wolf step into the water, limping slightly from its injured leg.

"Just ignore it." Kali rolled her eyes. Derek pushed forward through the water, wincing as it rose to his waist and the undercurrent tugged at him. It would grow stronger in the rain, Scott's body would probably never be found. He blinked away the tears trying to form in his eyes and trudged up from the shallows onto the shore, Deucalion trailing behind him.

A yelp grabbed Derek's attention and he watched as the wolf struggled to cross the river, paddling across the deepest part but getting pulled away by the current. At its panicked whine Deucalion reached out and grabbed it by the scruff around its neck and hauled it over to dry land.

"Great, now it's just going to keep following us." Kali glared and flicked some of her hair out of her eyes. "Should have just let it get swept away."

"What—_no!_" Ethan's jaw dropped. "He just saved us! That's cruel—"

"Life's cruel." Kali snapped back with venom and Ethan flinched.

"It'll get the picture eventually, let's keep moving." Derek said. He watched carefully as the wolf licked at Deucalion's fingers in thanks for the rescue, pressing it's side up against the man's legs. "Deucalion..." Shit, this was going to keep happening. The older man seemed to be stuck in a permanent daze now that the danger had passed. Derek pulled him away again as the wolf shook it's fur dry, nearly tumbling over with the force of its thick coat.

"Ha, you're right. He must not be that old." Aiden commented and both twins chuckled, though the sounds were empty to Derek's ears.

"Fuck, this is stupid. I'll just beat it so it'll run away." Kali growled and her claws slid out. Derek should have been alarmed, but honestly Kali didn't handle emotions well and violence was her first response to anything.

"Don't!" Ethan staggered forward. "Please Kali!"

"Fine, we'll just keep walking!" Aiden caught his brother but both moved to block her path. "No more interruptions."

"Kali, _back down_." Derek threatened, stepping closer. She glared at him, fangs pushing out and dangerous. "Let's just go back to the house." He tried to bargain, attempting to keep things civil.

"Who made you alpha?" She growled and Derek felt his eyes fall shut. He'd hoped the inevitable power struggle could be delayed until the pack was in a better mindset. They were too torn, too frayed right now. Ethan and Aiden wanted a new pack member, Deucalion wanted his lover back, Derek wanted a brother, and Kali needed a leader. Their instincts screamed for something they could not find and it was about to bubble over.

"We'll follow your lead Kali, let's go." Ethan spoke up quietly, surprising everyone. "I don't want anymore fighting." Kali pulled back, seeming to realize what she was doing. The air was still tense with clashing emotions but the she wolf suddenly released a long sigh.

"Stupid brat," she muttered and walked away. The way she threw the words made Derek think she wasn't talking about Ethan in that moment.

Aiden kneeled down next to the wolf. "You guys keep going, I'll keep him occupied so he stops following us."

"Ethan go," Derek touched Deucalion's arm to pull him away but the man stayed firmly where he was. Eyes downcast and glazed over. "Deucalion..."

"Shit, just let him stay here." Kali called back over her shoulder, water running down her face as she glared. She could have been crying in that moment, Derek would never know. Ethan came up behind Deucalion and touched his elbow lightly, asking permission and wrapping a hand around his arm when no sign of resistance appeared.

The younger man led Deucalion away and Derek followed, Kali leading them further into the forest towards home. A barren home that would hold no more warmth. Derek looked over his shoulder one last time; the world dark and wet as the trees and branches moved in the faint wind making the shifting moonlight dance as it broke through the clouds. Aiden was kneeled down, shirt soaked in blood and head low as his fingers combed through the wolf's fur, dropping to it's forelegs and the sound of his sobs reached Derek's sensitive ears.

He turned away, looked forward and promised to keep his eyes there. At least until the entire pack froze as Aiden's heartbeat went through the roof and he gasped loud enough for even a human to hear.

"_Scott?_"

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* * *

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	13. Chapter 13

Scott found himself floating through a sea of pain. Well, less floating and more being pulled. The sting of wolfsbane running through his blood as the water suffocated him. Pulled further and further under until the light was completely gone, only darkness and pain. His leg felt heavy, the one that had been shot, blood pouring from the wound as his hand brushed up against it. A bump in his pocket and like a spark of energy Scott remembered his charm Derek had given him, the bullet filled with wolfsbane.

The _bullet_.

Scott didn't even have a chance to think, his body reacted on instinct. Claws pushed through his fingers and ripped into his jeans, finding the bullet and crushing it over his wound, water and wolfsbane seeping through and mixing with his blood. Scott screamed as it burned, but it was a good pain. The type that signaled his body was healing as the poison was flushed from his system.

His head broke above the water and Scott gasped. It quickly spluttered into a cough as he tasted blood...his neck. There was only one thing to do; Scott squeezed his eyes shut and forced himself to change. A different pain took over as his features twisted and changed. The world flickered and jolted in front of his eyes and Scott realized he was draped in the sand, gulping in deep lungfuls of air, panting desperately as the water lapped at his paws.

The light was fading. Scott coughed up water and watched as blood soaked the damp sand. His neck was no longer spurting blood, but his leg still bled even if wolfsbane no longer spread through it. He continued to lay there, simply breathing before Scott realized he was still alive. He wasn't—he _survived_. Why?

Scott felt a weak growl slip from him and he clenched his jaw, fangs showing in a snarl. He had accepted death, right?

Or had Chris' words struck something deeper inside, something that pushed passed the guilt? He had wanted to die, but he had something—_someone_ to live for. He sucked in another gulp of air, doing everything in his power to keep breathing, struggling to survive. Maybe this was Scott's answer.

He blinked as it started to sprinkle, raindrops sticking to his whiskers. The light had faded even further. He must have passed out for a minute. Scott rose on shaky legs, half his body still drenched in water and his fur clung to him. Distant sounds reached his ears and he felt them twitch. Screaming. Gunfire. Fighting of some kind was still happening. Chris had tried to save him, the least Scott could do was repay the favor. He took a step forward and the world seemed off to him.

Scott shook his head, the fur around his neck splattering blood and water into the sand around him. His senses were...different. He couldn't pinpoint what it was, but it was as if he was looking at everything for the first time, new and unfamiliar. Except it wasn't. His ears twitched again as the distant noises came to him and he burst off into the trees. His leg burned as he ran but Scott ignored it.

The river had taken him a far way down and Scott was at least two miles away from where he and Chris had spoken, almost to where the river passed through the heart of the city. That would have been awkward; his dead body fished out in the middle of downtown...one of his pack coming to claim him. Scott's eyes unfocused as he remembered Deucalion's last words to him, his refusal to meet Scott's eyes.

He needed to apologize for putting Deucalion through that. Scott had a lot to apologize for.

Dirt and dead leaves tore under his paws as Scott raced through the underbrush, the light sprinkle of rain becoming a little heavier. The gunshots ceased as he drew nearer to the battle and in the distance Scott saw the hunters gather around a body close to the bank of the river. His eyes narrowed and then widened as he realized it was Aiden and a Hunter was pointing a gun at him. His pack, his friend.

Scott saw red. A crack of thunder and a sharp pain blossomed along his forehead. Scott found himself standing over Aiden. His pack mate bleeding heavily from multiple shots to the chest, breathing and heartbeat erratic.

"_Aiden!_" Deucalion's voice snapped Scott out of his stupor and he whirled around.

His pack was hurt. These hunters had tried to kill his pack. _He had to protect them_. Scott's body moved on its own and he slaughtered the men around him, teeth and claws tearing at flesh. Blood flew around him, righteous anger coursing through his veins.

The men tried to scatter, but Deucalion was at Scott's side in an instant. He whipped around the older man's body, defensive and lashing out at the same time. When the few remaining hunters tried to run Scott pursued them. He leapt into the forest, the rain not yet strong enough to block out the scent of fear and sweat as he closed in on his prey.

It was only after Scott had killed the last of them, fangs dripping with blood and chest heaving, that he realized Chris hadn't been with them. Scott lifted his nose and scented out the area, but no trace of Chris could be found. Perhaps he has escaped? Scott whined and looked around. He hoped that's what had happened.

The rain started to come down harder as Scott made his way back to his pack. They were going to be furious with him, Deucalion especially. He huffed as he found the river bank again and looked around, finding the others gathered close by. Scott picked his way over the scattered bodies and rocks outlining the shore, stopping at the look he received from his pack. They didn't look angry; if anything they appeared exhausted, and miserable.

"Thank you," Aiden said and Scott internally breathed a sigh of relief, at least until Ethan replied.

"It can't understand you, moron." Scott frowned, or tried to. What were they going on about? He could always understand human speech in this form, although they may be referring to his head wound. Scott twitched his ears. Yeah, he could feel the blood matting his fur. Actually, he was a little nervous about transforming back to human, he wasn't sure where the wound would appear on his head or the damage it could cause.

Scott's neck ached too and the burn in his leg made itself known again. He was in a pretty sorry state, all things considered. Deucalion's voice pulled Scott's attention back to the present as his beta snarled at Derek, eyes full of anguish as he breathed out an uneven sigh. It tugged at Scott's heart and he moved closer.

Ethan said something but Scott didn't quiet catch it, too focused on Deucalion, but when the older boy stretched out his hand Scott couldn't deny his pack mate comfort and walked up, pressing his forehead against Ethan's hand and breathing in his scent.

"He's _bleeding_," Ethan gasped.

"It's where he got shot protecting me," Aiden reached out as well and patted Scott's head. "Look, he also got hit in the leg and the fur around his neck is red." Honestly, they were taking everything a bit too well. Scott winced as his head throbbed in pain, like fire spreading across his skull and he missed what Kali said.

"Harsh bitch," Aiden muttered darkly and that sounded more like his pack. At least everybody was safe, that's what mattered. Scott jerked quickly as he realized his tail had started to wag on its own. He squinted, or tried to make a facial expression, as something about his tail caught him off guard. His fur was soaked in water from the rain and matted to his skin but his fur looked thicker than usual. His entire body felt slightly off, but Scott had just assumed it was the blood loss talking.

"What? First time you've seen it?" Ethan grinned and Scott huffed in annoyance. Well, maybe no one had been that worried to begin with?

"Let's go," Derek called to the pack and turned to leave. Scott let him take the lead, not like he could give orders in this form anyways. Deucalion seemed to be the only one in a state of shock, his scent muted and body closed off from the rest of the pack. Fresh guilt sprung up in Scott as he watched the older man kneel in the sand, despair written on every line of his face as their eyes met.

"A gray wolf?" he called. Scott hesitantly made his way forward, paws cautious on the sand, unsure if moving closer to Deucalion would help or worsen matters. Why had he called Scott gray? In this moonlight and rain his brown fur should appear black.

He paused directly in front of Deucalion, trying to convey with his eyes how sorry he was for putting him through that terror. Scott leaned forward, licking gently at the man's cheek. He paused as he felt his tail move on it's own accord again and looked back at the offending appendage. Seriously?

"Anubis?" Deucalion asked softly and now Scott was thoroughly confused. He sat back and whined, tilting his head. Alright, something was definitely off. Had Deucalion been injured? He was mistaking Scott for a fictional wolf, although—the memory of his conversation with the white wolf in the Between Realm came back to Scott, and the gray wolf that had met his eyes there. Why would Deucalion think of that now?

"—fall apart like this." Scott caught the tail end of Derek's sentence as his brother looked panicked at Deucalion's behavior as well. Derek met Scott's eyes as well and quickly looked away, pulling Deucalion up with him and towards the river bank where the rest of the pack had already crossed. Had something else happened Scott wasn't aware of?

He needed to stop almost dying, this couldn't be healthy for the pack's mentality.

Scott winced as he stepped into the river, back leg flaring in pain. His pack was speaking again but the words just filtered through his head, nothing being processed. Ethan may not have been far off when he said Scott couldn't understand them right now. His focus and hearing seemed severely impaired from his head wound. Still, he had to solider on. Scott pushed forward further into the water, ignoring his wounds and using his claws to dig into the sand and rocks to pull through the undercurrent. At least until the water became too deep. Scott yelped as he lost his footing and tried to paddle, feeling stupid as he imagined the sight he must present to the rest of his pack.

Strong hands gripped the fur around Scott's neck and lifted him up out of the river. His paws gently touched solid land and Scott gave a sigh of relief as Deucalion released him. He clearly wasn't speaking to Scott after what the young man had put him through, but at least he still cared. He licked at Deucalion's fingers in thanks, still worried at the blank stare he received from him. Scott pushed himself against the man's legs, circling around Deucalion, whining softly. Worry ate against Scott's chest as still nothing happened.

"Deucalion..." Derek wrapped a hand around Deucalion's elbow and led him away. Scott's instincts took over and he shook the excess water off his coat, nearly tripping. God, he was so bad at this wolf stuff, even years after he'd been bitten. He heard Aiden's laugh and looked up just in time to hear to Kali.

"Fuck, this is stupid. I'll just beat it so it'll run away." Scott's jaw almost dropped as she looked right at him, but her eyes were wrong. There was no hate in her gaze, just pain...and no familiarity.

Wrong. Something had been wrong since his pack had first seen him—no, since Scott had first transformed. He looked back to the river but the rain would make it impossible to see a reflection. Voices rose in anger and Scott felt his heart beat faster at their distress. Why didn't anyone recognize him?

Scott looked down at his paws, covered in sand and dirt, nothing looked too different. His ears twitched as he focused on his claws. Now that he thought about it, his nails had always been bulky and chipped before. These were long and smooth. What—

"You guys keep going, I'll keep him occupied so he stops following us." Aiden was suddenly in front of Scott, kneeling down and running a hand along the top of his head. Scott blinked. He watched as his pack walked away from him and confusion welled up tight in his chest. What was happening? Why did no one see him?

Aidan cried as he sat in front of Scott. His shirt was covered in blood and his shoulders shook and he tried to stop and breathe. He looked so young to Scott in that moment. The older boy's hand fell to Scott's front legs as he stroked the wet fur, wiping at some dirt that clung to it. Scott stared at his arm, his fur was really light now that he paid attention. It wasn't brown at all anymore. Aidan's hand stilled on Scott's arm as he parted some of the fur and saw the skin underneath, dyed black in a band.

Scott's tattoo was still there.

Aidan's eyes met Scott's as his heartbeat skyrocketed.

"_Scott?_"

_Finally_. Scott rolled his eyes, literally, and no wild animal does that. The next thing he realized the air was forced from his lungs as Aidan crushed him in a bear hug. Scott yelped in surprise and wiggled away, wincing as he put too much pressure on his leg.

"Oh my god, oh my god!" Aidan kept chanting as turned frantically around. "Guys come back!" He spun around to Scott again. "You! What happened!? You look different."

Scott stared. Hard. Aiden paused and realized he was asking questions his alpha couldn't respond to. He wiped quickly at his face a released a shaky breath.

"Oh my god, you fucking asshole." Scott coughed, or made some weird choking noise, as he tried to laugh but couldn't. He let the curse slide because honestly he deserved it. Aiden hugged him again and Scott saw over his shoulder the rest of the pack cautiously approach.

"Aiden...?" Ethan called out, voice thin and worried.

"Shit, he's cracked." Kali said flatly, unimpressed with the display.

"No, I didn't," Aiden snapped back and turned to face them. "We all noticed how odd this wolf was acting, we just didn't ask why." He lifted the fur on Scott's arm to show his tattoo. "He's been trying to get us to pay attention since the beginning."

That was giving Scott more credit than he deserved but sure, he'd play along. Scott swatted Aiden's hand with his paw and rolled his eyes at the looks he received.

Derek practically leapt forward and fell to his knees, hands shaking as he checked Scott's arm for himself. "Please...please," he kept whispering and the heartbreak in his voice tore at Scott. He pressed his forehead against Derek's and whined softy. "It's _really you_."

At Derek's confirmation Ethan stepped forward as well, face breaking out into an overjoyed smile. Kali and Deucalion were the only ones to keep their distance. Kali's face distrustful with a frown while Deucalion's was blank and closed off, eyes haunted.

"That's not Scott's fucking form, idiot." Kali cursed. "They don't change fur coats to match what's in style. Use your brain, it's probably just a birthmark. Stop fawning over some mutt."

"Christ's sakes Kali just come here and look!" Derek whipped back, eyes growing fierce. "What wolf rolls it's eyes?"

"It's just—" Kali hesitated. "It doesn't work that way. He doesn't smell like Scott, he could be another werewolf, it could all just be—"

Scott sneezed. Loudly. He wiped at his snout with a paw and shook his head. His coat was drenched in rain water and he was freezing, but he looked back up at Kali to let her continue her rant. She stared at him, face unreadable and Scott tilted his head, asking silently for her to keep going and the woman in front of him burst out laughing. She quickly stopped and clapped her hand over her mouth, looking mortified.

"It's Scott." Derek repeated just as fiercely as before. He turned back to his alpha. "Why didn't you just change back earlier? Would have saved a lot of trouble."

Scott bared his neck, even as his fur bristled at the action and it felt wrong. Derek's fingers brushes across the tear in his fur where he was still bleeding sluggishly.

"That's where you got hit?" Scott nodded.

"You saw that pool of blood by the river," Aiden said to the others. "He probably had to transform immediately before he bled to death."

"And you can't transform back now," Derek continued. "Otherwise you'll just have a gaping neck wound again."

"And now a head wound." Aiden added, face miserable with guilt.

"He also probably thought we were smart enough to figure out it was him in wolf form." Kali snorted.

"Did you even realize your form had changed?" Derek asked and Scott shook his head, wincing at the pain it caused. It wasn't missed by his pack and they crowded closer to him.

Everyone _but_ Deucalion. The guilt and anguish eating at Scott's chest grew agonizing at the look he received from the older man. He was shaking, Scott belatedly realized, there was a fine tremble running throughout Deucalion's body, like he was about to break if he moved.

Scott's body moved without his consent, towards Deucalion. He belatedly realized his tail was tucked between his legs as he did so. His snout touched Deucalion's fingers, brushed against his skin and the man let out a small broken noise. Scott moved closer and licked gently at the cold skin of Deucalion's hand, knowing the gesture wasn't enough, knowing Deucalion was too hurt to feel anything else.

"We should go back," Derek said quietly after a long moment. The pack watched as Deucalion stayed absolutely still and Scott's ears drooped, the feeling of defeat consuming him as his partner failed to react.

"_Deucalion?_" Adian's voice sounded small and Scott glanced over, surprised at the fear on the older boy's face. Ethan looked just as worried.

Kali walked up to the older wolf. "Your alpha's alive, you're either happy or you're not. Figure it out." Deucalion finally seemed to snap out of his daze and his eyes cleared, meeting Scott's this time.

"You..." He looked wretched, and hurt. His eyes haunted and dark, new lines around his face that Scott didn't remember before. The rain came down ever harder and Scott shivered in the cold, trying desperately not to break the moment. But his movement finally pulled Deucalion out of his inner turmoil and he looked around, as if noticing the rest of the pack for the first time. "I...yes, I agree. We should return to the house." He turned quickly and walked away without looking back.

Apparently there was going to be serious fallout for Scott almost dying...again.

"So dramatic," Kali muttered under her breath.

"He'll be fine, right?" Adian looked to the others.

"I honestly don't know," Derek frowned. "He's reacting like—" He stopped himself and shot Scott an unreadable look. After another moment Derek shook his head, wet hair sending water droplets flying in every direction. "It's not your fault, Scott. How he's handling this isn't your fault."

"Of course it isn't," Kali agreed. "Once you're able, though, you two should have a long chat." She pushed her long, drenched hair out of her eyes, looking greatly annoyed. "He's been keeping secrets too."

"You were totally right." Ethan whispered to his brother but neither seemed reassured by that, both still pale and shaken.

"Let's go," Derek repeated. "I'm sick of being here." And the pack finally started to move out. Which was incredibly difficult with wet fur and several bullet holes riddled throughout your body, Scott found out very quickly. The soft dirt swallowed up his paws and the dark trees in front of him spun dangerously. The cold wind and rain bit at his body, the fur doing nothing to help. Probably just the blood loss talking.

"Derek..." Ethan was trailing behind the others, staying close to Scott as he lagged.

"Scott," Derek turned and jogged back to him. Scott's wet fur clung to him uncomfortably and he tucked his tail closer to him, dropping his ears and whining. Derek came up to him and then quickly away making a choked coughing noise Scott realized was laughter. He figured he painted a pretty pathetic picture. "You looked like a drowned puppy, I-I shouldn't be laughing." Derek confirmed.

"Too much blood loss," Kali stated. "Everyone does realize it's a miracle this kid is still alive, let alone standing? I'm surprised he hasn't passed out yet."

Scott didn't want to be dramatic or anything, but passing out felt like a wonderful idea. Derek reached down and scooped him up in his arms.

"I got you." He reassured his alpha and Scott tried not to think about how awkward this must look. They continued back towards the house, catching up with Deucalion a few minutes later. Although his face was stormy, his façade cracked when he saw the state Scott was in. "Too much blood loss," Derek reassured the other alpha and kept walking, arms tight around Scott. "He couldn't walk anymore." Deucalion flinched at the words and his eyes almost met Scott's again before he turned away again, anger flashing across his face.

Scott deserved it, so he didn't mind. He settled against Derek more and let his body heat sooth him into a light slumber.

"...Scott?"

_"Scott!"_

Scott jerked awake and blinked as he realized it had stopped raining. Actually he was just inside now, the rain could still be heard outside, pelting down against the window. Derek and Kali were sitting in front of him.

Scott looked more closely and realized they were back in his room, the dark red walls and oak trim with several of his books splayed out across his desk calmed him down. A familiar sight and scent of his den spoke to a primal part in his mind. Scott looked down at his hands and saw they were still paws. Kali patted his neck and Scott realized something was tied securely around him, pulling uncomfortably at his fur.

"It's just gauze." Derek said quietly and pointed to Scott's leg which had a gaping bullet wound in it, had also been wrapped up now. "This will help you heal quicker. W-we tried to take your pain but..."

"We couldn't." Kali shrugged, looking entirely too unconcerned about it. "I'm guessing you're just too stubborn."

"It could be something serious, Kali." Derek looked appropriately alarmed.

"No, I know what it is." Kali argued. "This kid likes to keep his pain to himself, and he's a powerful enough alpha to do so. You and I aren't going to be able to do much." She shot a pointed look across the room. Scott craned his neck, somewhat painfully, and saw Deucalion sitting on the bed with his back to them. "That was a fucking invitation to jump in," she clarified.

"My words are for Scott alone." Deucalion finally said. He didn't turn to face them.

"_You_—" Derek made a move to leap up and attack, eyes burning with rage. Scott issued a sharp growl. _Don't Derek._ The older boy dropped back to the ground, exhaustion taking over his features.

"We'll let you get some rest, Alpha." Kali said as she stood up. "You need it."

Derek reached out and pet the top of Scott's head, mindful of the bullet wound. "Thank you," he said, voice close to a sob. "Thanks for not giving up and dying." Scott whined softly, laying his head on the ground and watching his two pack mates leave. Derek shot Deucalion a dark look before snapping the door close.

The moment settled into a strained silence.

Scott tried to collect his thoughts, but he realized Deucalion's anger at him was justified and let that rest on him. His pack was safe and alive, that's what mattered. Deucalion had started to say something to him but Scott was fading, he was so tired and the rain and thunder lulled him to sleep.

.

* * *

.

Scott awoke the next morning to a plate of food in front of him. Bacon, eggs, and a rare steak that smelled amazing, but after another moment he realized his wasn't hungry. His head was killing him and he was still tried, even after sleeping the entire night. Scott raised his head and looked around, Deucalion wasn't in the room. He rested back on the floor and drifted again into sleep.

.

* * *

.

He woke up again to more food in front of him. This time a water bowl had been placed next to it and Scott realized the steak had been cut up into tiny pieces. He lapped up some of the water and a feeling of drowning overtook him, Scott stopped and pushed the bowl away with his nose. He looked at the food and contemplated eating it. Who cooked it?

Scott lifted his head and looked around. It was night and he saw Deucalion's form lying on the bed. From his heartbeat Scott could tell the older man was awake but he said nothing. Scott flopped down in a huff. He looked back at the food and realized he still wasn't hungry.

He fucked up, Deucalion could be mad with him for as long as he wanted.

Scott glanced at his window and looked at the stars, glittering in the darkness. They danced in front of him as he fell back asleep.

.

* * *

.

The next time Scott woke up there was a different plate of food in front of him. A note was next to it saying '_Bark when you wake up and we'll eat together_.' Based on the scrawl it was Derek's handwriting. Scott smiled in his mind and inhaled the smell of the paper, taking in Derek's own scent of ash and sandalwood.

Moving seemed like too much of an effort and Scott sighed as he stayed curled up. With his ears he could tell he was alone in the room. Further away he heard Derek's heartbeat, anxious and quick. The twins were even further away, their heartbeats the same. He couldn't hear Kali or Deucalion's.

Scott yawned and looked at the food, feeling nauseous. Maybe tomorrow...

.

* * *

.

"...Scott?" A vibration like thunder echoed through Scott's body. He felt cold. "_Scott?_" A hand touched him and Scott instantly knew it was Deucalion's by the rough fingertips. His tail wagged on its own. "—ott! Scott look at me!"

The hands were on his face now and Scott was floating. He was so happy for some reason. He drifted away again, content.

.

* * *

.

"—need you to open your eyes."

"Fuck you, Scott, open your eyes."

"Has he eaten anything the past week?"

"Someone was _supposed_ to stay with him and check."

"_Don't push me, boy_."

It was too noisy. Scott frowned, he couldn't sleep with all the commotion. Something was peeled away from him, like a second skin, and several people gasped.

"_Shit_."

"Scott, open your eyes!" That was Derek. He didn't need to sound that worried, Scott was just tired.

"Wait, why hasn't he healed?" Ethan's voice.

"Healing can be affected by mood." Adian replied, voice quiet in a way that reminded Scott of when his mother told him his grandmother was sick and in the hospital, that she wasn't going to come back out.

"Wake up!"

And someone smacked him.

It sounded like Kali's voice and Scott was hardly surprised. He finally opened his eyes and huffed dramatically, but it was ruined by a roar and Scott was greeted with the sight of Deucalion throwing himself at Kali; both tumbled to the floor snarling.

It kicked his heart rate and blood pressure up and Scott scrambled to sit up and the rest of the pack panicked.

"What the fuck are you doing!?" Derek screamed, eyes bloodshot with dark circles under his eyes.

"Get him off of me!" Kali shouted. "He's gone feral!" The twins were already on Deucalion, trying to pry him off. He snarled at them, murderous eyes only for Kali. Scott struggled again to get up but his body wouldn't respond, it felt too heavy.

"Stop! Please stop!" Ethan was begging and Scott realized his was bleeding from a gash across his cheek. What the hell had happened to Deucalion? Scott's mind whirled as he tried to think. He seemed to be the least concerned with Scott's recovery, how long had he been asleep.

"Deucalion, stand down!" Derek dove in but Scott saw the hint of gray start to creep across Deucalion's skin as he transformed. This needed to stop _now_.

Scott squeezed his eyes shut. A memory, a memory. He searched for something, anything. At a pained howl Scott's mind flew into the past. In a dark forest with red eyes chasing him until his chest felt like it was about to collapse. Far past fear into pure terror he had run; branches scratching his face and arms, tears in his eyes. _I don't want to die. I don't want to die. Please, I don't want to die. _Were his only thoughts until he felt the white hot pain tear at his side and he screamed. Falling and tumbling through the dirt, at least Stiles was safe—

Scott gasped, sitting up as he snapped out of the memory. His pack was still fighting in front of him, Deucalion nearly fully transformed. He placed his hands on the ground to push himself up, only to slip and scrabbled as his paws were unable to find leverage. Scott backpedaled. Paws? He looked as saw he was still a wolf.

_Oh shit._

Now he started to panic. Reliving a memory had always worked before, why not now? Was he trapped this way forever? His final punishment?

It was fitting, sure, but right now Scott needed to be human. He needed to contain his pack before they tore each other apart.

He had to become human _now_.

Scott blinked. He was kneeling on the ground, legs crumpled under him awkwardly and arms shaking trying to hold him up, but they were human arms. The suddenness of his transformation almost made him pass out again—oh, and Scott's leg was sluggishly bleeding across the floor as was his neck and head, dripping in front of him. Be careful what you wish for, wasn't that how the saying went?

Screaming and yells pulled Scott back to the present. He felt a vein twitch in his forehead, which squirted blood from his wound, but Scott ignored it and made his voice ice as he spoke with the authority years of living in darkness had granted him.

"_What the fuck are you doing?_"

He let the venom slide through his voice, loud without yelling with the power of an alpha behind it. The entire room froze and all eyes went to him. Scott hoped he looked pissed enough, naked and bleeding all over the floor but with eyes a glowing red and fangs fully bared.

Immediately Deucalion reverted to his normal form, and Kali shoved him off, deep gouges in her arms slowly healing. The twins and Derek released Deucalion and the room stood still for a moment. The moment flickered and suddenly went dark and Scott blinked, eyes going unfocused.

"Shit, did the power go out?" He looked around and tried not to flinch at how much blood he could feel under his fingers. "If you all would just behave I wouldn't have to transform before I healed." Scott gave an irritated sigh. "And possibly blow out the power circuit."

"The lights didn't go out, Scott." Derek answered, the quiet horror was back in his voice. The searing pain in Scott's head finally made itself known and he connected the dots.

"Oh." Scott brushed a hand against his head, where the bullet had torn through the scalp. If he remembered his anatomy class correctly then—that made sense. Scott fell back against the bed. "The occipital lobe deals with visual processing, I think. Ha." He let a shaky laugh out. Sleep sounded like a great idea. Scott's leg, neck, and head were burning and he just wanted to rest.

"Don't fall asleep again!" As if reading his mind, there was a flurry of movement and hands grabbed Scott's shoulder, fingers digging into his skin. Derek's scent washed over Scott. "You have to eat! You need to let one of us heal you. _Shit_, you've lost so much weight. Scott!" He was shaken roughly and Scott winced.

"Derek, I'm fine. Just haven't been very hungry." The world became weightless for a moment and Scott lost his sense of self. He slumped in Derek's grip and was shaken again.

"Kali, get more bandages now!"

"They won't help—"

"_Do it!_" Derek's voice turned back to Scott. "Scott please let me start healing you, _please_." It felt like something reached into Scott then, deep into his chest and pulled. Scott stared down, he couldn't see anything but he guessed he was looking at his chest right now. The pulling sensation stopped abruptly, like there was a wall. "Scott, stop it! Let me do this!" The feeling of being pulled increased, almost yanked, but it didn't hurt. Scott blinked and arched an eyebrow.

"I'm not doing anything."

"You have to be!" Derek's voice was almost hysterical.

"It's unintentional." Deucalion's voice was almost unrecognizable it was so hoarse. Either he had been screaming for hours or hadn't spoken for days. Scott's heart rate picked up and he took a deep breath.

He deserved this.

"I'm fine, Derek. I'll heal on my own." He brought his own hands up and pushed Derek away. His vision flicked and he saw for just a single moment Derek's pale face, eyes full of heartbreak. The world went dark again and Scott smiled. "Don't look so down."

"Scott, you're killing yourself." That hurt. The smile slid off Scott's face. "Whatever you're thinking, whatever is building up inside of you, just let it go. You need to let it go, it's killing you."

"No, I'll heal. Stop worrying." Scott was so tired. His pack wasn't tearing themselves apart anymore so he wanted to go back to sleep. "Just need to sleep a little more."

"_No_." Derek pulled him upright and wrapped his arms around Scott's shoulders. "No more sleep for you. I'm taking you to my room and we're forcing you to eat."

"You're not taking him anywhere." Deucalion spoke again, a dark note in his voice. Possession.

"Why? So you can watch him starve on your fucking floor? You've shown how much you care—I don't trust him with you anymore." Both wolves growled. "You're a shit mate, Deucalion—" The roar was deafening and there was a flurry of movement next to Scott. He wasn't sure how, since he couldn't see, but his body knew how to move. Derek was on his right and Scott's arm shot up to protect the other boy's neck, flinching as teeth tore into his skin. It felt so right, like true justice and Scott didn't even feel the pain.

"I said to _stop_ fighting." He sounded so calm to own ears. The teeth quickly let go of his arm as someone coughed, choking and spitting. Scott always figured his blood tasted horrible.

"Scott..." Derek's voice cracked.

"I get it." Kali's voice sounded from the doorway, it was flat and a little bitter. "I understand what you're trying tell us, Alpha."

"Hmm?" Scott tilted his head. "I've made it pretty clear; please stop fighting."

"Yeah, but that's not all," she spat and then took a deep breath, like she was collecting herself. "When you're gone, I'm out of here."

"What are you talking about—"

"You three out, if Deucalion wants to kill a weak alpha that's his business."

"_What!_"

"What!?"

"I'm not—I didn't mean—" Deucalion's stuttered, and there was something fragile in his voice, beneath the roughness, Scott couldn't place. "It was an accident!"

"You're not trying to save him so you might as well kill him." Kali's voice became harsh. Silence overtook the pack and Derek's grip on Scott was crushing.

"Kali...give me the bandages." Derek finally asked softly.

"Like I said: they won't help. The kid's going to bleed out on the floor regardless of what you do now. He's stopped healing completely."

"Adian, we're leaving." Ethan spoke up suddenly, his voice emotionless. "We can't help right now."

"What are you talking abou—"

"We're leaving. I want to spar outside, let's go." There was a scuffle and Scott figured Ethan dragged his twin out as their heartbeats got farther away.

"Maybe all that schooling really did make them smarter," Kali muttered under her breath. Her breath shifted, like she turned her head. "You too, you can't help anymore."

"If you think I'm leaving Scott to die with this asshole, you've got another thing coming." Derek's voice tightened, as did his grip on Scott. It was really painful now. "I'm not leaving you Scott, don't worry."

Kali made an agitated noise. "Stubborn boy."

"It's fine Derek." Scott sighed and turned his head into the crook of Derek's neck, scenting out his brother. Ash, like after a fire. Sandalwood that was uniquely his, and past that he smelled like the forest in Beacon Hills. He smelled like _home_. Maybe that's how Derek had always been able to calm him.

Home sparked memories of Stiles and his jeep, the hunk of metal that always broke down at the worst of times. Of him and Scott stranded on the side of the road numerous nights while Stiles tried to fix his baby, chatting a mile a minute about random subjects. Home was where his mother was, in the house passed down to them from his grandparents, otherwise she would have never been able to afford it. Making do on what little money they had, of still being able to come home some nights to a cooked dinner that always tasted amazing, of shopping at second hand stores and Scott trying his hardest to make his mother feel good about it.

Home was where Alison's smile was.

Scott didn't remember falling asleep, he only saw flowers in the rain.

.

* * *

.

A sharp pain in Scott's neck jolted him awake and he slapped someone in the face, hand meeting rough stubble.

"What the fuck!?" Scott grit his teeth and felt the bite mark. It hadn't broken the skin but everything in his body screamed in protest. His eyes were still out of commission but when Scott inhaled there was only one scent around him. "Where's Derek?" he asked Deucalion.

"Kali had to drag him out, he panicked when you fell back asleep." Deucalion's voice had switched to a monotone and Scott felt something painful twist in his chest. Based on how sticky his skin was, his bleeding hadn't stopped.

"Why'd you wake me up?" Scott dropped his arm to the floor listlessly and leaned back against the bed. Everything was probably soaked in his blood by now. They were never going to get their deposit back. "Wanted me conscious when you took me out?"

"Wh-what?" The monotone was quickly abandoned and Deucalion's voice slipped into confusion and pain. "I'm not—I don't want you _dead_ Scott. Why—"

"You're giving off a _strong_ vibe." Scott grinned as he thought back to a previous conversation. Deucalion's heartbeat became erratic.

"_Look at me_."

"I can't."

"_Try_." Scott did, he honestly tried to force himself to see, to switch to his wolf vision, but nothing worked. He wasn't healing so his sight was going to stay broken.

"Sorry," he finally sighed. He listened and become conscious of the rain still outside. This was some storm. Scott blinked and realized his breathing was labored, his chest felt constricted, almost like an asthma attack. He grimaced.

"Why are you so _fucking_ calm?" Deucalion asked, sounding so far from calm Scott wondered if maybe there was something wrong with him after all.

"Not sure, guess it's because I deserve this." There was a frustrated scream and the room shook as there was a crack from the wall behind Scott. He was hauled up into a better sitting position; his vision flickered for just an instant and all he managed to see was Deucalion's eyes, crimson in color and full of rage. That was expected. Scott groaned as his body protested at the movement.

Everything was on fire, his whole body burned. He was dropped suddenly and Scott collapsed back against the bed, unable to even try and sit up. Hands caught him before his head collided with anything. trembling hands. There was a long moment of silence as Deucalion tried to compose his breathing.

"Scott, have you ever loved someone?"

"Yeah."

"Do you know what it's like; to follow a trail of their blood and all you find is a large puddle of it? Just their blood. Not even a body, but you look at their blood and know it's too much. Have you ever had to do that?"

"No."

"Do you know what true despair and fear feels like? To hate someone you love so much you wish you had never met them, but can't bear the thought of having never known them?"

Scott thought of Allison and when she had only looked at him with cold hate. "I—yes."

Deucalion's body stilled and he finally let out a sob. It wracked his entire body and Scott felt someone burry their head into his neck. Deucalion wept, muffled by Scott's skin and the younger wolf winced at the layers of pain he could read in it.

"I thought you were dead and I couldn't even cry." Deucalion gasped wetly into Scott's chest. "You stupid boy, you show me light and then snatch it away." His breath stuttered, Scott could feel hot tears on his skin that burned hotter than any of his wounds. "I wanted to _die_. I looked at my future and it was dull and lifeless. The colors were gone again and I _hated_ you."

Scott took a shaky breath. He _deserved_ this.

"When I first saw you, as that wolf, I thought maybe I had died. I wanted to be judged, for that gray wolf to look at me and tear my throat out. But it wasn't Anubis, it was _you_." Deucalion's voice sounded like broken glass is was so coarse, nearly incomprehensible, but Scott understood every word. "You just popped right back in, threw yourself in front of danger and nearly died again to protect your pack. I couldn't...I didn't know what to say. What _could_ I say?"

"It'd have been easier if I had died." Scott finally responded. He couldn't really move his body anymore, it just felt like dead weight. "That's why you didn't talk to me, right? I waited, but I realized you didn't want to see me anymore and it made sense. It's alright to hold onto that anger, I deserve—"

A snarl cut him off and Deucalion bit his neck again, this time Scott felt as it pierced through his skin. It felt horribly wrong and all his senses kicked in to protest, but Scott couldn't move. His strength was gone, spread out across the floor in a dark stain.

"_Ow_," was all he could muster. The pain went deeper, to his heart and Scott finally felt tears slide down his own face. Deucalion pulled back quickly, like he had expected something else. Scott started to drift again and his head fell forward, he didn't even have the strength to lift it anymore.

"Scott?"

"I never told you, did I?" Scott said softly, "how much I love your voice? It sounds nice, always has."

"Scott, _stop_." The words were a command but Deucalion suddenly sounded desperate. "Stop it, please."

"I'm really sorry I put you through all that." And there was that childish voice of his. So stupid, Scott didn't want to sound anything like a child. "I'm sorry you couldn't cry. I didn't mean to take the light away from you. I didn't mean for a lot of things."

"Scott, stop it!" A hand pressed hard against his chest. "Shit, please, please work. Dammit." The hand pressed again but Scott felt nothing. "I can't...fuck, _I can't_."

"What's wrong?"

"I can't...I can't take away your pain. I'm sorry. I'm _so_ sorry."

"It's fine."

"No it's not—why can't you ever accept that!? Fight, just fight Scott it's what you're good at!"

Scott huffed a pained laugh. "Not really—"

"_I'mscared._" Deucalion said the words so fast Scott wasn't sure what he'd said. Thankfully Deucalion repeated himself. "I was scared, that's why I didn't talk to you." Something deep within Scott shifted at his words.

"What?"

"I was angry and scared. Angry at you but also myself, absolutely terrified that this was just a dream that you were actually still dead, and so sure that I would ruin everything if I even touched you." Scott heard Deucalion's heartbeat hammering in his ears. "But god—I _never_ wanted you dead. No, why, why would you _think_ that? I'm shit at feelings, you know this, took me almost five years just to realize I liked you. I was terrified at being in the same room as you, I couldn't sleep I thought you would die if I did."

"Why'd you leave, then?"

Deucalion's whole body started shaking then. "I don't know," he admitted, voice haunted. "I ran like a coward. I didn't realize you weren't eating. When I came back and saw you in the same position, with your food untouched I knew I'd made a mistake. I panicked, but I didn't know what I could do for you...I was still angry with you but confused and afraid this was all my fault—again. And it _was_. You thought—think, I want you dead. I don't. _I don't, I don't, I don't_. How many ways can I say it? Stop saying you deserve this. Just stop. There's only one thing that stops a wolf from healing: guilt. Stop feeling guilty for no reason."

"No reason?" Scott couldn't move, couldn't see, was so close to death if he actually thought about it he'd be terrified. "No reason?" His voice was calm again, but it was a calm with horror behind it, like ice. Scott knew what to say, what he really had to get off his chest, what had been eating at him for years.

"Deucalion I hear your screams at night when I dream."

"Wh-what?"

"They're dreams, but worse than that they're memories. I don't need to make up any of the scenarios I dream about, I lived them all. I watch myself torturing you again and again and I listen to your screams. I see myself enjoy it, get off on it. I watch as I break you over and over as you beg me to stop and I don't—and I didn't—I'm covered in your blood and the blood of everyone I've ever killed and hurt and when I wake up...I see you. Acting like everything is fine, _loving_ me, pretending I didn't split your skin with my hands or break your bones. I see you cry when I say I'm going to die and it's not deserved. I thought maybe I could try for redemption but every night I'm reminded why that'll never happen, and every morning I wake up and see the person who I hurt the most—"Oh god he was going to say it. "—the person I _love_ back so fiercely it hurts, but that I wounded worse than his most hated enemy. And you say I have no reason?" Scott grinned. "This guilt will haunt me forever, Deucalion. I can't escape it, so I might as well pay for it. It's the only thing left to do. Thinking you wanted me to die only made it easier."

Scott was glad he couldn't see, because he could feel tears falling onto his face and knew he wouldn't be able to handle the sight.

"Let's agree to disagree on this subject, alright?" Scott sighed. "I deserve to die, I deserve this pain." The pain had spread everywhere, his entire body was numb with it.

"You..._stupid_ boy." The anger in Deucalion's voice only made Scott smile harder. "That spark, where is it? I fought for you, please—please fight for me."

"I—" Scott paused, everything paused. The world stopped for a moment. "What?"

"It took me awhile, I admit, but I finally looked passed my own pain to see yours. Do the same for me, _please_. I'd like to think I'm worth fighting for, I know you are."

Simple words. Such simple words.

"You..." Scott felt a fury sweep through his chest and clenched his hands. The pain in his body was suddenly barely there, a footnote to everything else. "You fucking bastard." His tears had started again, but of rage. Scott pushed himself up on shaky arms and his vision flickered and he met Deucalion's eyes with his own. "_Why would you say something like that?_"

"I mean it." Deucalion didn't look apologetic, he met Scott's eyes and held them, even if they were full of fear and anxiety. Scott fought to stay upright but his vision flickered again and he fell back. Deucalion held firm and pulled him close to his chest. "More than anything," he whispered, "I wish you'd stop paying for my sins."

"Yours?"

"I was the one who started us down this path."

Scott thought back. "Yeah, I guess so."

"No one steps up and pays for another man's sin, accepting all the guilt and taking as his own. There are no exceptions! Not even for someone you love. "

Scott huffed, still letting anger course through his body. "I can try."

"You...stupid boy."

Scott realized he was shaking, not in anger or pain; he was trying to hold on. He felt sick, weak, and hungry. He'd lost too much blood.

"Well if you don't want me to die then you'd better grab someone quick." His guilt wasn't suddenly gone, but he couldn't just lay down and leave anymore. He could see Deucalion's pain now, clearly, and the fear of losing Scott and being alone again—of losing the only person who's nature wasn't directed at selfish desires. "Ever heard the story of the Scorpion and the Frog?" he coughed, struggling to stay awake. Deucalion was yelling for someone. "I always hated that story."

.

* * *

.


	14. Chapter 14

There was something sticky on Scott's lips. He licked them and tasted honey.

"What the—?" he jerked awake and headbutted Ethan.

"Ow!" Both cried out, clutching their foreheads.

"Ethan _why_ are you smearing honey on my lips?" Scott asked, trying hard to be patient.

"Well, I wasn't going to throw up in your mouth," the older boy countered, still rubbing his forehead. "It's been hard to get food in you. We've only managed water and broth."

"Seems like that'd be enough for me." Scott spat, his lips sticking together and he was forced to keep licking them. He paused and looked down at himself. "Hey, I can see!" His vision flickered and went out. "Just kidding, apparently," he sighed. "Looks like I'm not bleeding out anymore."

"Yeah, once you let Derek take your pain you immediately started to heal. Your leg should be better, same with your neck. Your head and arm are the only thing still healing."

"My arm?" Scott felt the bandages and frowned.

"Um...from when Deucalion bit you—_accidentally_."

"Oh, yeah," Scott scratched the back of his head. "It wasn't that bad, wonder why it's not healing?"

"You must not want it to." Ethan's voice wavered, like he thought he was speaking out of turn. Scott shrugged.

"I guess not." He tried to put that thought aside. "How's the floor look?"

"We're never getting our deposit back."

"I figured. People still trying to kill each other?"

"Kali's upset with Deucalion for attacking her, Deucalion is upset with Derek for trying to claim you, Derek hates Deucalion for abandoning you."

"Oh my god they are worse than children." Scott would have slammed his head into a wall if it wouldn't have killed him.

"I know."

"Wait—what do you mean claim me?"

"It's nothing, they've been working out their aggression in sparring, all three of them. I think it's better now. It will be once I say you've woken up."

"Sparring? Is everyone alright?"

"No one lost any limbs." Scott tried not to let his jaw drop.

"Um, listen, before you tell them, maybe I could get some actual food to eat? I don't think I can deal with those three on an empty stomach."

Ethan's voice perked up. "You're hungry again?"

"I dreamt of that steak I never ate." Scott lied and by the whoosh of air Ethan had jumped up.

"Ok, ok I'll be back in like ten minutes. There's that sandwich place close to us, I'll run there and back."

"Lot's of meat, please."

"No problem." Ethan's footsteps dashed out of the room and Scott only felt slightly guilty for lying to him. He really did want that sandwich.

Scott swung his feet over the bed and touched the floor carefully, feeling the cool wood beneath his toes. He listened intently; it was _still_ raining. Or maybe it had been stopping and starting again and he just kept missing when the sun was out, but it was just a light rain now.

He concentrated and pushed the pain in his head out and away from himself. His vision cleared and Scott breathed in relief. His arm twinged and he looked down, dark red spots dotted his gauze in the shape of a bite mark.

"A mystery for another day." Scott said to himself and rose out of bed, nearly tumbling down again. He looked down at his naked body and winced. He really _had_ lost a lot of weight. Still, werewolf strength counted for something, he quickly threw on some clothes and a jacket before opening his window. The air was bitterly cold but Scott didn't care as he slid out and ran towards the forest.

His pack was going to freak when Ethan got back, but he'd answer if they called out. He just needed to be away to figure things out. Scott ran until his legs and chest burned, he ran until he reached the river. The same riverbank he'd nearly died at. His blood had long been washed away and the bodies were gone but the sight still sent of shiver through Scott's spine.

He collapsed on the ground, breathing hard. He was _really_ out of shape, it was disgraceful.

Scott thought back to Chris' words, _"If you truly wanted penance you'd try to be a better person, a better alpha."_ If Deucalion was going to make him keep living then Scott had to get past this guilt, or at least put it behind him, _something_. If things kept going the way they were he was never going to feel free again, and he'd just drag his pack down with him. But how do you atone for so much sin? Scott knew it couldn't be as simple as 'being a better person'.

He knew he could never be Scott McCall again, he'd known that from the start. So what was left? What else was he besides himself? An alpha? A friend, brother, lover? What defined him now that could overcome his guilt?

"It's not easy." Scott whipped around and nearly stumbled in his weakened state. Derek looked unimpressed from where he sat lounging in a tree. Scott glared up from under wet bangs.

"I see my stealth skills have drastically decreased."

"Not really," Derek hopped down and landed gracefully on the pebbled ground. "I just happened to be watching your window when you left."

"Creepy, dude."

"Your observational skills are what's decreased for not spotting me immediately."

"Sorry, I've got a lot on my mind." Scott huffed as Derek came and sat next to him, both now soaked from the rain.

"Yeah, I know. I've known for a long time, I was just hoping you'd come and talk to me before you did something stupid."

"And when has that ever happened?"

"Good point," Derek sighed. "I should have talked to you long ago."

"About _what?_"

Derek's voice turned dark. "Scott, I understand guilt better than anyone else in the pack." Scott frowned, not sure where he was going and Derek gave a bitter laugh. "You forgot, that's fine. I wish I could," he looked up to the sky, "Scott, I'm responsible for my family's murder, remember?"

"I—" The world grew dull around Scott as he took in what Derek said.

"I told Kate about them, I was the only reason they all burned to death. I was the reason my sisters and I were orphans. I turned Peter into what he was. In a way I'm responsible for turning you into a wolf. I'm responsible and I've had to live with that guilt ever since I walked up to my house and found the smoking corpses of my entire family."

"Oh god Derek, I'm sor—"

"It's not easy to live with that kind of guilt," Derek continued, but he threw his arm around Scott's shoulders. "The guilt was crushing. I thought Laura would hate me and I'd be alone, I was so terrified of her rejection. She didn't, our mother had taught her well and she made a great alpha. She lied and said it wasn't my fault, thanks to her strength I was able to carry on—or I guess I carried on for her. Didn't make my guilt disappear, though. It's crushing, all-consuming. It never leaves you, always in the back of your mind."

"What happened then?" Scott asked with baited breath.

Derek quirked an eyebrow at Scott. "I became a different person, I became that guy you first met in the forest."

"Yeah, you were still a creeper then." Derek chuckled and Scott gave a small grin.

"I became a man who obsessed over whatever he could. Revenge, getting a pack, anything that would push the guilt away. All it did was add more guilt to the pile. Caused my two remaining sisters' deaths. My own obsession finally caused my greatest fear; I was completely alone.

Then this stupid kid, another one of my obsessions, walked up and said _'be a part of my family_', like it was the easiest thing in the world. And he called me brother and just like that I had someone in my life again." He paused and Scott stopped himself from saying anything and ruining the moment. "I realized my guilt was...pointless. Guilt doesn't help the dead or the living, just reminds us of painful memories."

Scott took a deep breath, inhaled any scent he could pick out through the rain, and released it. He tried to release more, tried to let go of his guilt, but it clung to him, refusing to come loose.

"So what's the trick?" he asked.

"Trick?" Derek shook his head. "Don't know if I'd call it a trick. My mother always said purpose is the strongest motivator. I guess I found a new purpose with you, one where my old guilt didn't matter—more than that it was useless and I had to let it go."

"Yeah well your mom was a badass alpha who...well, I'm not sure what she did—"

"She was the Guardian of Beacon Hills, Scott."

"I'm pretty much the furthest thing from that." Scott threw a pebble into the river and watched as it sank.

"I don't think that's true," Derek said. "You always fight to protect the pack."

"That's an alpha's job and it's the only part of that job I can do correctly." Scott clarified. "Purpose...a new purpose. Don't know if I even had an old one."

"Like I said, it isn't easy." Derek bumped his shoulder against Scott's. "But I understand, you're not alone."

"I—right." Scott went rigid at his words. _You are not alone_. "Thanks, man."

_"Keep trying, sweetie. I'm so proud of you."_

_"I'll never give up, Mom."_

Scott felt his chest constrict and quickly clutched it as it as memories swarmed his mind. His mother always told him to keep trying, keep fighting. Fight, not just for himself, but for Deucalion's sake too. He had to see past his own pain, so many other people looked past theirs to focus on him, he could at least do the same.

_Different isn't bad._

Kali always said that to him, Scott would have never guessed until recently she was actually trying to cheer him up, to give him a message of hope. She also said he was always making things more dramatic than they were. So many people lived with guilt in their lives, everyone made mistakes, but they didn't let it control them. Most people didn't wallow in guilt their entire lives, not sure how to atone so they never tried.

Maybe...Scott McCall still _did_ exist. The boy who took every loss personally, who let the guilt of thinking he saw Derek die eat at him until it almost killed him, who ran around trying to save everyone without a thought of what his actions put others through. The boy inside who would have him wallow in misery over all he had done and only wonder if he could better himself.

It was time to let that boy go. Time to become more.

"Derek, let's go back before the others worry."

"It's your choice." Derek said. The same thing he always said, his mantra from the very beginning. _It's your choice_.

Something sparked in Scott's mind just then. A vision of something...with purpose.

"Yeah, I guess it's always been my choice." Scott said as he stood up. It was at that exact point that several panicked howls sounded off in the distance, both the twins and Deucalion's—which sounded borderline hysterical—and Scott wasn't surprised to not hear Kali's.

"I swear that bitch doesn't worry about anything," Derek griped as he responded with a call that Scott was with him.

"You know, now they're gonna be upset with _you_." Scott pointed out. "Especially Deucalion."

"Yeah they'll think I smuggled you away to have you all to myself," Derek smirked at the idea. "I can live with that." Something popped up in Scott's mind suddenly and he frowned.

"Speaking of, what was Ethan going on about something with you trying to _'claim'_ me?" Scott crossed his arms as Derek went bright red.

"Jesus Christ that's not—ugh, it's just because that fucking old wolf _thinks_ he's courting you and has claimed you in that sense, but that's bullshit. You probably didn't even realize what he was doing." He looked and saw Scott's blank face. "Knew it; it's his own damn fault trying to initiate a courtship as a submissive. He wasn't prepared for what it did to his mental state when we thought you were dead."

"I am so fucking lost here."

"Typical." Derek rolled his eyes. "Talk to him about it if you want, but I was _not_ trying to claim you. I think of you as a brother. Honestly though, I would make a better mate," Derek glanced up then, and gave a small grin. "I'm just saying."

"_Mate?_"

"Let's just go back to the house, I'm in for it as it is." Derek groaned and pulled Scott along with him. Scott turned and looked back at the river. The vision he had had, for just a fraction of a second, stayed with him.

.

* * *

.

The sandwich Ethan got Scott was honestly one of the best he had ever eaten. It might have had something to do with not eating solid food for over a week, but Scott was past caring as he tore into the Combo Meat Sub with a frightening ferocity while Derek and Deucalion screamed behind.

"This is so good, Ethan." Scott said around a mouthful. "What's even in it?" Ethan opened his mouth. "—scratch that, I don't care. This is the best thing I've ever had."

Deucalion yelled something about Derek trying to mark Scott as his and that prompted Derek to take a swing at the older man and they both turned their argument physical without missing a beat. Kali sat next Scott, eating the pickles he had taken out and tossed aside.

"If I'd known you had this much of a hard-on for sandwiches I would have made the boys get you one earlier," she commented as a chair was throw across the room.

"Well, we weren't getting the deposit back anyways." Adian sighed miserably.

"You missed the one they had a few days ago." Kali continued, eyes flicking up to the fighting alphas. "It was pretty hot. They both tore off the other's shirt and I would have bet money they were going to switch into a Fight of Dominance they were so enraged."

"How's that different from what they're doing now?" Scott asked as he was about to take another bite.

"Wolf-Dom fights are uh..." Adian trailed off.

"You have really angry sex." Ethan snickered at his brother's reluctance to say it. Scott arched an eyebrow.

"It's built into werewolves within their pack," Kali's grin was predatory. "To keep pack members from killing each other during arguments, when they get so worked up they're blinded by rage their body kind of initiates a quick heat. Instead of tearing each other's throats out, the two wolves fight for the dominate sex position and the loser—instead of dying—just gets fucked and is forced to enjoy it because of the heat running through them. It's humiliating and the winner has bragging rights, but no one dies."

"I...did not know that. _How_ did I not know that?" Scott processed that as he chewed. The more you know.

"The environment you kept the pack in before really didn't leave room for arguments. Which was a shame, those two fighting is really hot, they got so close." Kali sighed longingly. "I was pretty wet in anticipation."

"Ugh, Kali!" Ethan covered his ears and closed his eyes. "No one wants to hear that." There was a loud crack as Deucalion and Derek slammed against the couch and broke it.

"What stopped the epic sex fight?" Scott asked, chugging the glass of water next to him and grabbed the second sandwich Ethan had bought him.

"Oh." Kali deflated. "That old wolf and his pride. He must have realized he was going into a rage heat and bit himself to snap out of it. So lame."

A lamp went flying past Scott and Ethan's heads to smash against the wall, causing Ethan to yelp in alarm and both twins to duck under the table. Scott continued eating, far too absorbed with his food. Literally this was the best sandwich in the world.

"I guess you can handle a lot of meat." Kali shot and Scott laughed, covering his mouth as food went flying. The fighting paused at the sound. Scott swallowed his food and turned around with Kali.

"You done yet?" he asked. Both Derek and Deucalion were covered in cuts and bruises. One of Derek's eyes were swollen shut and Deucalion's shirt had been ripped off, a long gash traveling down his chest. The men panted, out of breath, and Derek suddenly dropped his fighting posture.

"Yeah, I'm done," he spat. He and Deucalion's eyes met and the dark-haired man gave a sharp glare. "Face it, he doesn't belong to either of us, but you're the one who tried to claim him without his knowledge." Derek spun around and stalked out of the house, grabbing his jacket as he left. Scott watched everything as he finished his sandwich. He was never not eating food again.

"Deucalion?" Adian asked from under the table. The older man jerked from the floor and stood up, not meeting Scott's eyes and made a hasty retreat to their bedroom. The younger man didn't miss how red the back of his neck was.

"He knows you two share the same room, right?" Kali asked, face conflicted as she pretended not to care but loved the drama too much.

"Yeah, but now it'd look stupid if he left so he's going to stay up there panicking silently." Scott sighed. "So dramatic."

"You're not angry with him, are you?" Aidan asked as both twins got up and sat back down. Scott might have beat around the bush before trying to get more of an answer from the older boy, but he didn't feel up to it today.

"About the courtship thing? Nah." At the twins unbelieving look Scott shrugged. "I'm weird when it comes to wolf things, remember? I only just found out about _'rage heats'_, I feel like there needs to be a handbook that comes when you get the bite."

Kali chuckled and tossed her hair back. "I'm really loving this version of you, Alpha. Maybe almost bleed out more often, seems to do wonders for your personality."

"Please don't," Adian begged. "I'm not sure the rest of the pack could handle it."

"Didn't you get your arms mauled?" Scott cast an eye over Kali's upper body but there wasn't a mark on her. His own bandaged arm twinged, reminding him of a lingering question in his mind.

"Yeah," Kali huffed and inspected her skin, "that was my bad, haven't seen a wolf go feral in so long—didn't realize he was that far gone."

"You go feral every battle." Scott pointed out.

"I'm still in control," she countered. "His wasn't due to bloodlust but..." Kali paused and Scott noticed both the twins giving her very pointed looks. She gave a long, frustrated sigh. "It was due to shit you two still need to talk about. Honestly, this is so stupid."

"Just go talk to him, Alpha—" Ethan started.

"Fuck it—he's so madly in love with you it's turned him into an idiot who doesn't know what he wants or how to ask for it." Kali said and stood up abruptly. "I've known it for months. This latest stint of you almost dying just made it too real for him and he reacted poorly—also due in part to an unformed courtship he thought he could do by himself."

Both twins were speechless and all eyes turned to Scott.

"I am never going to get the hang of all this wolf bullshit," he sighed and hung his head.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Kali!" Aiden growled. "That's personal! Only between Deucalion and—"

"Not if he was never going to say anything to Scott!" She countered. The two continued to bicker and Scott felt a headache approaching. He wanted another sandwich.

A foot nudged his own under the table and Scott glanced up to Ethan.

"Just go talk to him," he whispered. Scott grinned, surprising the other boy.

"Can do," he said and pushed away from the table. "Don't stop squabbling on my account." Kali and Adian paid him no mind and continued with their argument, voices heated in a way that Scott wouldn't be surprised if angry sex came out of it.

He climbed up the stairs and pushed the door open to his room. The hardwood floor had been stained a dark red so his blood would be less noticeable and, for the most part, it worked. Deucalion sat on the bed, shoulders tense as he stared out the window. The wounds covering his chest were mostly healed, just a few scratches left. Scott took a deep breath, the scent of wood, rain, and Deucalion settled something in his chest and he closed the door behind him.

Deucalion's heartbeat slowed to a monotone and Scott suppressed a grin as the man in front of him tried to appear calm. His scent spoke of anxiety, humiliation, shame. Derek's words had cut deep.

Scott made his way past Deucalion and over to the window, leaning against the frame. The rain was never ending, spattering against the glass and making the world gray. A scene swirled in Scott's mind and he closed his eyes, leaning his forehead against the glass. _A purpose_...

"Scott?" Deucalion's voice was hesitant. Scott turned his head. "You seem—_different_."

"Derek and I had a good talk." Scott looked down at his arm, wincing as blood seeped through the bandages again. "I was trying to understand my guilt, how to get past it so I could move on."

"Did you?"

Scott looked back out the window, saw his own dim reflection stare back at him. He looked determined, calm, collected. He looked like leader. _Different_.

His mind was made up.

"We're going back to Beacon Hills." Silence met his words. Scott was patient and waited, waited until the silence stretched for too long and he turned fully to face Deucalion. The older man sat hunched, hair in front of his eyes and Scott couldn't read him in that moment. He stepped closer. "You alright?"

"No."

Scott reached out to touch Deucalion's shoulder but he stopped him abruptly, grabbing Scott's injured arm and cradling it in his hands.

"It's not healing."

"Apparently, I must not want it to," Scott shrugged. Deucalion flinched and let the limb go.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to—"

"You meant to rip Derek's throat out." Scott chided and flexed his hand; it stung. Deucalion had stilled next to him.

"I wasn't thinking."

"Something about going feral?" Deucalion made a face at his words, disgust and self-loathing.

"It's—"

"That why you bit my neck too?" Funny enough it had healed already, but it irked Scott. A primal part of him was still displeased. That got a strong reaction from Deucalion and his head snapped up.

"_No_. I just—I wanted to get you to react, it had always worked before. I didn't mean to mark you, I swear. That was—" he let out a small hysterical laugh "—I couldn't stop myself. Didn't know what I was doing until it was too late. It was a gross assault on you in a weakened state...I don't think sorry is enough, for any of my behavior that day."

Scott wasn't sure what the right thing to say in that moment was, so he sat next to Deucalion instead. His fingers brushed against Deucalion's arm, feeling as the hair on it rise at Scott's touch. A smile pulled at his lips.

"Nah, sorry 's enough for me." He looked over to Deucalion and tried to meet his eyes. The older man bit back a noise, either a laugh or a sob, but his eyes were clear when they finally met Scott's. "Just try to keep those teeth in check, they're sharp."

"_I'm sorry_," Deucalion breathed out, gently taking Scott's injured arm again. "I would throw my demon power away in a second if I could just heal you, like a normal wolf. But I'll never be able to take away your pain." Scott's hand found one of Deucalion's and he threaded their fingers together, realizing why his arm had refused to heal.

"Sometimes a simple touch can help." He had learned that touch was a powerful thing within the werewolf community, able to communicate more than words ever could. "No magical powers needed; you're enough." He unwrapped the gauze and was relieved to see the wound finally close up. "See—"

Scott was knocked back with surprising force and gave a muffled cry and his lips were assaulted. Deucalion was draped over him, claiming his mouth with wet, hard kisses. Scott responded back after a moment, slowing down Deucalion's frantic movements and pushing back eventually. Deucalion pulled away, out of breath, and dropped himself onto Scott's chest.

"What was that for?" Scott laughed.

"You know what." Deucalion muttered against his skin and sat back up after another moment, skin flushed. "What your words do to me..."

"I have an idea after all these years." Scott replied. He glanced at his arm and was amused to see tiny white scars. "Looks like you marked me anyways." Deucalion's heartbeat skyrocketed and Scott chuckled. "It's fine, I should really be apologizing to you, I know my blood probably doesn't taste very good after everything I've been through—not like yours. You taste—"

"Like tears."

"Hmm?" Scott tilted his head, Deucalion face had become closed off. "No, you taste like spice and electricity. It's a little heady to be honest."

"Your blood tastes like tears, Scott."

"I—oh." Scott paused. He hadn't expected that. "S-sorry."

"Don't be, it jolted me out of my crazed state. I was horrified, that's why I spit it out." Deucalion brought a hand to his face and wiped at his mouth, as if he could still taste it. "Tears; they reminded me of too much. Of my own pain, crying alone at night after I had first been turned, of your tears as you tried to express your anguish when the darkness had you. All that in the instant I realized I had bit you. It overloaded my animal instincts. I..." he trailed off and stayed silent.

Scott let the silence overtake them for awhile, content to let Deucalion sort through his feelings when a thought suddenly came to him.

"The heat intensified everything, didn't it?" Scott noticed Deucalion's pulse quicken and his eyes darken.

The older man took a shaky breath, "Yes, painfully so."

"I thought 'going feral' didn't cover everything," Scott sighed. "Everybody's actions make a lot more sense now...as well as my own. I guess I underestimated how much a heat weakens and throws off a pack."

"Don't..." Deucalion started but his voice died and he appeared traumatized, fingers trembling suddenly.

"What?"

"Please, don't force me to leave ever again."

Scott's mouth went dry and he nodded quickly, tears forming in his eyes at the memory. His grip on Deucalion tightened—he wanted _more_—and leaned in until his forehead was resting against the other man's neck. His scent was intoxicating, spice and clean sweat mixed with something uniquely Deucalion. The man underneath Scott shuddered at the attention as soft breathing ghosted across his neck.

"I promise." Scott whispered and meant every word.

"_Thank you_." If Deucalion's voice shook, Scott ignored it. Instead he scraped his teeth gently along the older man's neck, causing a low whine to slip from him.

"So about this whole 'claiming me' thing?" Scott switched subjects neatly and was pleased to feel Deucalion freeze underneath him. "Courting?" Deucalion's heartbeat sped up out as he silently panicked and Scott lifted himself away from the other man. "You know me, I'm literally clueless when it comes to werewolf traditions so I've had a lot of people throwing words at me I don't really understand without context. Something about an unformed courtship?"

"Shit." Deucalion was less eloquent than he usually was.

"What is it, exactly?" Scott pressed harder. "From others' reactions I'm under the impression that a submissive usually doesn't trigger this—whatever this is supposed to be. Am I right?" Deucalion nodded jerkily, eyes adverted and looking somewhat like a kicked puppy. "I—" Scott pulled back on his tone, realizing how he sounded. "I'm not actually that upset, just confused—oh my god!" Realization dawned on him. "Was that the date!? _That's what the date really was wasn't it?_" He didn't know why he sounded so excited, but he was glad to have finally fit that piece into the puzzle.

Deucalion's entire neck and face were a bright red and he had buried his face in his hands. Scott settled back and crossed his arms. "I was wondering why you were so forward suddenly. Is it generally supposed to be the other way around? How do courtships even work? I wonder—"

"Scott." The young man snapped his mouth shut, desisting in his rambling. Deucalion had moved his hands away but his eyes were now tired, heavy lines around them and Scott grew worried. "Courtships are a very serious thing and intensely private. I...went about it the wrong way. A submissive can make their desires known but it's ultimately the dominate wolf's decision to make and initiate. I was just," he waved a hand around, "happy?" He said the word like it was foreign to him, like it was an actual question. "There's still some aspect to being a submissive I'm not used to, even after all these years. I just _wanted_ so badly that I acted out of my place. It's unhealthy, what I did. Half-formed courtships can be dangerous after a time because there is no true reciprocation. I wasn't thinking straight at the time."

"I mean, it was during a heat." Scott shrugged, Deucalion still not having answered his question. "You normally don't have a lot of control."

"And normally an Alpha would have known what I was doing and shut it down, but that only makes it worse." Deucalion rubbed the back of his neck, like he was trying to erase the blush still there. "It's alright, there's an easy fix."

"I figured." Scott nodded. They just needed to do everything properly—

"Sever the link."

"I—what?" Scott's jaw tightened as his eyes widened.

"Don't worry, I'm still yours." Deucalion hastened to assure him. "I'm not asking—I'd never want—"

"What _is_ a courtship?" Scott asked again, putting steel behind his voice. He wanted all the answers before he did anything. "Answer that first."

"It's..." Deucalion really seemed stubborn on not wanting to spell it out. Unfortunately that's what Scott needed.

"I'm going to assume it's something a little more intense than just dating?" he tried.

Deucalion snorted. "Such a human word; empty and void of true emotion."

"Help me out here then." Scott's patience was wearing thin.

"It's..." Deucalion tried again and pinched the bridge of his nose. Scott recognized the action as the older man trying to figure out the right words rather than an unwillingness to talk. "I'm trying to translate it to something that holds equal meaning to you. It's—fiancé?" he finally settled on and gave a glance in Scott's direction. Scott picked out the fear deep within but his mind was currently too blank to really process it.

"You...uh." Scott tried, he really did. His mind whizzed, trying to connect different dots and finally complete a puzzle that had been in the back of his mind for several months now. "Explain more? Because to me, fiancé equals eventual marriage."

Deucalion gave a deep, strained sigh. "Courtship can occur between any wolves, they don't have to be currently in a bond like we are or even the same pack. Courtship...happens when both wolves want to become..." He let out a frustrated laugh. "Mates, Scott. I wanted to be your mate, that's all."

That's all, like it was the most casual thing in the world. Scott might have believed it if it weren't for the fear in Deucalion's eyes, the redness of his neck and face, the tremble in his fingers.

"Courtship is like asking someone to be your fiancé because it ends in a permanent relationship?" Scott asked, still not sure how to feel.

"It's something so much deeper than that." Deucalion looked a little desperate, something wild in his eyes. "The fact you don't understand makes it even worse, what I did. It's fine, just sever it. The connection will break and my mentality will normalize again."

"Will it hurt?"

"It's fine, that's not important."

"_Will it hurt?_"

"Yes." Deucalion's face twisted in anger, as if upset Scott was worried about how it would affect him. "It will hurt, but the pain will be temporary. Rejection hurts everyone, supernatural or not, but it's fine."

"What do I say?"

"Just say that you reject the offer of courtship, it's quite simple."

"I—" Scott paused. The puzzle finally complete and he saw the picture, the ending Deucalion had been trying for. He looked over at the older man, body tense as he braced himself for Scott's words. "So...you don't want it anymore?" It was the only conclusion he could come to, why Deucalion had asked him to say the words.

"What?" Deucalion hadn't expected that. He blinked at Scott.

"The courtship? You don't want it anymore?" Scott looked away. "That's why you want it severed?"

"Don't you?" His voice was fragile in that instant and Scott could hear hope through the layers of denial. "I've made so many mistakes up to this point, it was a gross betrayal to attack you to try and force a courtship—"

"If I can't wallow in guilt then neither can you, asshole." Scott quipped and Deucalion flinched. "Answer my question."

"I don't want it to affect your decision."

Scott rolled his eyes. "Of course it will, I care about what you think."

"Dammit Scott..."

"Please, _answer_."

"No." Deucalion's voice cracked, sounding raw and he tried to take a steadying breath. "I don't want it severed, I want—what I wanted..."

"You want to be mates, one day." Scott was still a little fuzzy on that, but it sounded suspiciously like werewolf marriage. But if courtship went deeper than a proposal, then this was surely something deeper than marriage, more profound and clearly something important to Deucalion.

"I wanted a dream, not reality." Deucalion muttered. "But I'd rather have a severed link than an unfinished one."

"I understand." Scott lowered his eyes. Why was Deucalion always so stubborn? Pride, he was prideful, it was his defining trait. It was aggravating and frustrating but Scott supposed he was too. Deucalion's sin was pride and Scott loved him for it. Scott's sin used to be wrath but maybe...now it was something else.

If Scott had to give it a name, he'd have to say greed.

"Proposal accepted."

"See, that wasn't too—_what?_" Deucalion's heartbeat and pulse skyrocketed, his pupils dilated as his eyes met Scott's and he broke out into a sweat that had the scent of panic and desire.

"Proposal accepted," Scott repeated and shrugged. "Courtship formed...or, uh, successful? I reciprocate? I'm not sure what the right thing to say is. Is there a certain phrase?"

"No—I," Deucalion seemed stuck. His scent shifted suddenly; added to the spice was now the smell of fresh cut grass and pine trees. Scott leaned in again and sniffed, curious at the abrupt change.

"Your scent—"

"_It's yours_." Deucalion exhaled quickly, still shell-shocked. "That's your scent mixing with mine, it happens when—" He choked off and quickly doubled over.

"Deucalion?" Scott reached out and ran a hand along Deucalion's back, hair standing on the back of his arm as a tingle ran through his body at the touch, like gentle electricity. Deucalion shuddered in response.

"Like sparks of magic," he groaned and Scott saw unshed tears in his eyes. "You feel like small sparks of magic cascading across my skin."

"Is that...good?" Scott asked hesitantly, lifting his hand up.

"Just means we're connected, like our scents. Wh-what do I—?"

"Electricity, you feel like when I build up a static charge and touch metal."

"Does it hurt?" Now Deucalion looked worried.

"No," Scott shook his head, "feels good. Is that—is this what a courtship does?"

"A complete one, yes." Deucalion was shaking all over. "You said yes?" The fragility was there again, along with the hope.

Scott felt his cheeks burning as he looked away. "Of course. Isn't it obvious I love you?" And he said it, _really_ said it. The words tumbled from his lips like they were soft and new and Scott swallowed down his nerves.

"Yes, it's actually very clear...I'm just...a bit slow," said possibly one of the most brilliant tacticians Scott had ever known. He rolled his eyes and turned back to Deucalion to retort, but was stopped as hands grabbed his face and lips crashed against his.

"Mmmph!" Scott gave an indignant muffled cry as he was thrown back onto the bed again. Deucalion's motions were erratic and hasty as he climbed on top of Scott, desperately trying to rip his own clothes off. "Hey—" Another frenzied kiss cut Scott off and he could taste the electricity tingle in his mouth. Both men moaned and Deucalion tangled his fingers in Scott's hair and pulled them closer, until they were flush against each other.

"..._mine_." Deucalion muttered against Scott's lips and the younger man froze. It wasn't indignation or annoyance at being claimed that slapped him in the face, but a feeling of utter belonging took over Scott at those words. Was this what Deucalion felt each time Scott said that to him?

Deucalion's mouth attacked Scott's again, ripping off his already torn shirt and the action turned Scott on even further. He slid his hands up Deucalion's back, scraping his nails down the flesh and arching as the feeling of electricity raced up his spine. Deucalion gasped at the action, mouth missing Scott's and sliding along his jaw, his teeth just grazing against the younger man's neck. Like a white hot jolt of desire Scott moaned loudly, uncaring if the rest of his pack heard and fisted Deucalion's hair, forcing his mouth to stay where it was.

"Keep—keep doing that," he ordered. Deucalion growled and lavished Scott's neck, lips and tongue, abusing flesh. The sensations connected straight to Scott's groin, or that's what it felt like to him. Never before had Scott really experienced someone touching his neck in such a way, as an alpha it had only felt wrong but he'd been told how sensitive it was. He had even felt it briefly before when Deucalion had sucked on it, but this was a whole new level.

Another scrape of teeth against Scott's collarbone and the younger man nearly came, crying out and burying his face in Deucalion's shoulder. Every touch felt new, the entire world and its sensations were like the first time again and it was close to overloading Scott's brain. He pulled Deucalion's head up to crush their mouths together and his beta whimpered.

"I need—" Deucalion shuddered against Scott, his breathing unsteady and labored. At some point he had started ripping off his jeans and was attempting to mount Scott. "I need you inside me _now_. God—I need..." he nearly slipped and Scott caught the older man against his chest. His skin burned Scott's and the trembling became apparent. "I need you to claim me now—I need to feel you as my partner—I have to _feel_ this courtship as deeply as I can...I've waited—wanted—so _long_."

Scott jumped as he felt hands start to fumble with the zipper on his jeans. The scent of Deucalion, now more than ever, was intoxicating. The feel of his skin as his beta squirmed on his lap _begging_ for him sent a powerful thrill racing through Scott, but the look in Deucalion's eyes and the stress in his voice called to something deeper.

It was as if Deucalion was still scared something would change; he was racing against an unseen clock. Like Scott might take his words back.

He was still alpha, still in charge.

Scott sucked in a deep breath, the teenage fantasy part of his brain reveled in Deucalion being on top and worshiping his body. There wasn't anything wrong with that fantasy, but that wasn't the foundation of their relationship. And it wasn't what Deucalion needed in this moment.

The growl built deep in Scott's chest and his body came to life in an instant, hands whipping out to grab Deucalion's and throw him back against the foot of the bed, Scott's body pinning the older man there as he bit into the neck that belonged to _him_.

"Calm down," Scott said as he eased his bite. Deucalion panted underneath him, chest heaving as Scott still had his hands pinned to the side. His skin glistened with sweat, tinted with arousal and his nipples were hardened into dark nubs. Scott felt his mouth start to water and licked his lips. Deucalion moaned at the action and thrust his hips up.

"You know you want to fuck me, Scott." Deucalion's voice wavered as he spoke, as if just the thought of Scott pounding him deep into the mattress was almost too much. "Just don't hold back when you do."

Scott's gaze traveled down to focus on Deucalion's cock, laying thick on his hip and red with neglect. The tip quivered as a bead of precome started to leak out. At Scott's attention it swelled further and Deucalion made an odd whine in the back of his throat. He spread his legs further for Scott as an invitation, testicles drawn up tight against his body.

"_Take it_," Deucalion urged, voice desperate again. "Take what's yours."

"I will," Scott promised and dragged Deucalion up, flipping him over so he was lying across Scott's legs, well-muscled ass resting perfectly up across his lap. "But first I need you to calm down."

"I—"

Scott slapped Deucalion, hard. Right across the rounded flesh in front of him and watched as a red flush appeared. Deucalion yelped initially, almost jerking off Scott, but the young man grabbed both his hands and held them against his back to steady them both. After realizing his position, Scott both felt and heard his partner's pleased moan. He smoothed a hand over Deucalion's ass, fingers slipping down to just brush against his entrance and the man underneath him gasped.

"I'm going to take you, stop worrying about that." Scott chided and slapped again, much softer this time, and Deucalion shuddered in his grasp. "I'm going to fuck you so hard it'll hurt to even try and sit, every time you move you'll be reminded of who you belong to. My scent and marks will be covering you so everyone can see and _know_. I'll fuck you so well you'll never doubt this is real ever again."

Deucalion was biting his lip so hard it was bleeding, eyes squeezed shut as he processed Scott's words. He was still shaking, and Scott understood that he wasn't used to getting what he truly desired. Wasn't used to being happy.

"I just need to you calm down," Scott lowered his voice, his tone soft and warm. "You're trying to rush, I can tell."

"Just—" Deucalion suddenly collapsed, released a long breath and buried his face in the mattress, unable to continue. "I've lost you too many times in so many different ways...I can't, I need—" He broke off again. "There's more, you don't know what this means to me, to have this. I can't—"

Scott slapped him again as he felt Deucalion get close to breaking. His hand twinged with the force of his hit and Deucalion cried out, erection throbbing against Scott's thighs. He felt as some of the tension eased out of the older man.

"You're mine," Deucalion sobbed into the sheets, sounding relieved. "You said yes."

Scott's hand came down again and Deucalion's hips stuttered, grinding into Scott's knees and his scent drenched in carnal lust. Scott lowered his head and gave a long, filthy lick around Deucalion's hole, grinning as the man choked and wailed. His lovely low voice cracking in pleasure as he screamed Scott's name over and over. The younger man lapped at his entrance, tongue delving in and out of Deucalion at a languid pace until his spit coated everything. Scott pulled back up and admired his handiwork; Deucalion had finally stopped trembling, instead too overcome with the sensations Scott was teasing him with.

"I'm yours," Scott whispered, "_forever_." He sunk his fingers into Deucalion and twisted, feeling along until a found the bundle of nerves and pressed against his prostate. Deucalion thrashed violently, fangs snapping out as he howled. Scott quickly pulled out and slapped his beta into submission, bringing him down from the brink of orgasm with the sting of pain, but leaving him just on the edge.

Scott took a deep breath, anxious for what he was about to say. "I've wanted your love and approval for longer than I'd care to admit, and after claiming you a small part of me was upset we could never be equals again, but now...sounds like we are again. And maybe one day mates? This guilt, I can finally put it behind me so when I look at you I only feel love. I'm sorry that I focused for so long on things I can't change instead of seeing what was right in front of me."

Deucalion chuckled wetly underneath him. "We're both guilty of that sin, Scott."

Scott smoothed his hand along Deucalion's ass, a deep primal instinct content with how perfect it felt seeing his hand marks there. He struck again, firmly, seeing the flesh bounce and Deucalion thrust against his leg.

"I want to bite your ass," slipped out and Deucalion moaned. "I want to mark you everywhere."

"Do it, _please_."

Instead, Scott pressed three fingers into Deucalion and curled them making the older man buck and twist. He pulled out and dipped a single finger in this time, barely past his knuckle and shallowly fucked Deucalion. Scott kept it up for several minutes, even as Deucalion begged for more.

"I'm going to take my time with you," he admonished and swatted the man far too lightly. He returned his finger to Deucalion's opening but this time only swirled his finger gently around the rim. The older man finally screamed in frustration, hips canting upwards trying to get Scott to do more.

"I can only take some much toying Scott, please fuck me—"

Scott cut off the remark with a hard smack, then a more powerful one. It shut Deucalion up as he groaned into the sheets. Scott felt his own erection straining against his jeans, a damp spot having formed long ago as Deucalion writhed in his lap. A thought suddenly came to him.

"Does that mean you're no longer my submissive?"

Deucalion panted, sweat pouring off him. "Only if you don't want that any longer. You can release me."

Scott scratched his nails down the man's back. "Do you want to be released?"

Another slap and Deucalion shuddered violently, hips thrusting against Scott's thighs. He twisted his head until one of his piercing blue eyes met Scott's. "Don't you dare," he snarled and Scott almost smiled. Instead he gave another slap that had Deucalion choking back a moan. He gasped, forehead pressed against the sheets again. "I _need_ this. Need to be leashed, controlled. Feel safe, like this, with you."

"Safe?" Scott cupped his hand over the reddened flash of Deucalion's ass. Slipped a finger to push into his entrance, pressed firmly against his prostate and watched the man flail. He withdrew the finger just as quickly and gave another quick slap, too light for Deucalion's tastes based on the whine he received.

"From hurting others." Deucalion finally sobbed. "I feel sane with you. Normal. I trust myself again when you take control."

"That's..." Scott couldn't say how he felt and slapped again, hard, almost too hard but Deucalion gasped in relief, hips grinding against Scott in jerking motions. Scott kept slapping until his hand was numb, harder and harder until Deucalion was screaming and crying in pleasure, precome soaking Scott's jeans as he rubbed himself against the younger man. "I trust myself with you too, you force me to look at myself—my choices. Own up to them, overcome them. I feel complete with you next to me."

Scott somehow felt it as Deucalion finally came, deep in his soul as if they were part of the same body. He didn't come too, but it was a close thing as Deucalion screamed and came apart, tears running down his face at Scott's words. The younger man clung on tight to him, releasing his arms to instead wrap himself around Deucalion as the man trembled from his release.

"Sorry..." Deucalion eventually mumbled.

Scott chuckled, "For?"

"Didn't mean to end things quickly—shit." Deucalion pushed himself up, arms shaking and he nearly collapsed again. His hair was damp with sweat as it fell in front of his eyes and Scott watched as Deucalion tried to regain his breath.

"It's fine," he shrugged, "I pushed you pretty hard." Deucalion reached out and stroked a hand down Scott's neck and the younger man smiled.

"You're still..." Deucalion motioned to Scott's straining erection trapped in his jeans that were unzipped and riding low on his hips. "You were going to fuck me." It sounded a little petulant, and when Scott ducked down to meet Deucalion's eyes he recognized the look of subtle disappointment. Deucalion was always harshest on himself.

"I never said we were done," Scott quipped. The air froze with tension and lust. Deucalion's scent immediately switched from exhaustion to desire and Scott grinned widely. "I promised you a lot, remember? We're not done by a long shot." The look and smile Deucalion gave him at those words made nearly everything Scott had been through worth it, to get to this point.

Here, with the man he loved.

Although still recovering, Deucalion managed to throw himself at Scott in renewed passion and the rest of the day and night were spent with Scott fulfilling his promise to his mate. Pounding against Deucalion with new senses flooding both their systems until he broke the bed, and continuing against the wall and then the shower until not an inch of Deucalion was left that hadn't been claimed by Scott.

When they both collapsed and darkness crept into Scott's vision he finally felt no fear or guilt at the coming dreams. Only happiness as Deucalion pulled him close and curled his body around him whispering, _"Mine." _over and over until his deep voice lulled Scott to sleep.

.

* * *

.

"I think my new wolf form is a reflection of you."

The storm had finally stopped and Scott could see sunlight through the curtains as he sat up in bed. It was sometime early in the morning and everything felt warm and content. Deucalion shifted next to him, groaning at his sore and stiff body but Scott caught the grin on his lips. Blue eyes rose up to meet his own dark brown ones.

"A reflection of me? How?"

Scott gave a soft laugh. "Anubis, remember?" He pointed to some of the books laying out on their desk. "That story you told in Egypt, the wolf I saw in the Between Realm, 'to measure a person's heart after death' a judge of souls so to speak, a protector too of those who were crossing to the afterlife. A True Alpha is an alpha by character alone, their heart judged and found righteous, and...a protector, sound familiar?"

"Sounds like you."

"I think somehow my form changed to fit my new reflection, and I thought of everything you told me. Your beliefs influenced me."

"I—" Deucalion sat up as well, face conflicted in a frown. "I think I'm flattered."

"You should be," Scott rolled out of bed and felt as the rest of his pack started to wake up. "I need to talk to entire pack today."

"About what you said yesterday?" Deucalion asked. "Beacon Hills?"

"Yeah," Scott turned to face him. "Yesterday when I was with Derek he told me about his mother; she was the Guardian of Beacon Hills. Under her there was peace among wolves. For just a second I had...I dunno, a vision? I saw myself as a Guardian, and maybe I could go one step further. I could make peace with the Hunters too, I could—" Scott stopped abruptly. Deucalion was staring at him in a way he never had before. The intensity of it made Scott stammer. "Wh-what? I-I know it's stupid—"

"It's not." Deucalion voice was soft, but broken and he looked away. "But that's a dangerous road to go down. Being a visionary has a price, Scott. Just...trust me on this. You will be hurt, maybe even destroyed."

Scott studied the man in front of him. The broken visionary who had fought for peace until it ruined and twisted him into a monster. But Scott understood the darkness now, and what lay at it's heart: fear. He stepped forward and felt his back straighten, determination flooding his body.

"There was a time I'd have said _'I don't believe that'_, but now I know that's not true. The world is a cruel and monstrous place that crushes the weak, but...it's beautiful too. There are things you can find to love and protect. I chose to live a different way, to take a different path. One that will leave me with more scars. I opened the beacon at Beacon Hills and left it to its own darkness; even if everyone hates me, I need to go back and protect it. I will become the new Guardian and fight for the vision I have."

He probably sounded irrational, or naïve, Scott realized. He didn't care. He hadn't felt this certain in a long time. Deucalion was staring at him again, eyes overly wet with some type of emotion.

"A vision of peace?" he echoed.

The heated stare finally got to Scott and he scratched the back of his head, "Something like that." A watery chuckle answered and Scott tilted his head. "You good?"

"You're what I should have been, I can see that—maybe that's what I always saw in you, from the beginning." Deucalion wiped quickly at his eyes. "It's funny, you're a man now but some of that boy I first met is finally back in your eyes. The one that wanted to help, wanted to do the right thing. I missed him, god I missed that."

"Dude, stop, you're making me blush." Scott really wished his face would stop burning. "We can both be that, people who want peace and are willing to fight for it—but not to kill. No reason you can't be right there beside me."

Deucalion responded instantly, "I will, always."

Scott walked back towards the bed and sunk down, facing Deucalion and let the moment wash over him. The peace he felt inside, the calm of the air around them, the warmth in his chest. Deucalion's fingers tangled in his and they stayed like that for a while, simply content.

The moment was ruined by Kali barging into the room.

"Hate to break up the loving moment, but I overheard some of that. If we're moving I'd like the get the official announcement because I am fucking done with this place."

"Thanks for knocking, Kali." Scott deadpanned as Deucalion growled at her. She gave them both a once over.

"Nice markings," she winked at Deucalion and then rolled her eyes. "About time you two finally hooked up, be easier to deal with the old one now."

"Fuck you, Kali." Deucalion made as aggressive move but winced and suddenly sat back down. Scott suppressed a smile and Kali outright cackled.

"Guess our alpha claimed you pretty hard?"

"You only wish you had a lover half as good." Deucalion snapped back and Kali's jaw dropped.

"Shit that's low, bitch." Scott sent Deucalion a warning glare but the older wolf didn't seem to care. Kali's eyes went back to Scott. "Maybe next heat I'll offer myself to Scott, see what all the fuss is about."

"Kali..." Scott heaved a very loud sigh as Deucalion's hackles rose again and both wolves snarled at each other. "Please gather the others downstairs, we have a lot to discuss."

.

.

* * *

.


	15. Epilogue

Epilogue

.

.

The hike through the forest was longer than Scott remembered. The trees looked the same and the scent of pine was strong in the air, but there was something more. Something sharper and darker than Scott remembered; a calling.

The sun was rising in the distance, the moon slowly fading. Flowers were starting to bloom, signifying the start of spring yet Scott's breath showed in the morning air. The pack finally made it to the top of the ridge, Scott's heart pounding in his chest. He looked to the left and saw the same rock he and Allison used to leave messages for each other on.

It looked the same, as if no time had passed at all. Allison could appear at any moment, waving to him as they had their secret rendezvous. For a moment the world was still, trapped in the past and everything was preserved. But it passed and the world grew brighter as the sun rose higher.

"Scott?" Deucalion stood by his side, mouth drawn tight in concern. His beta—maybe mate one day?—stood with the rest of the pack, all ready to follow Scott into whatever hell was waiting for them. His pack of alphas, his brothers and sister. His family. This was the perfect place for them.

"I hope they're ready for us," he said, power swirling inside his eyes. "Because whatever evil is lurking in this city has never seen what we can do."

"A true alpha with a demon wolf leading a pack of alphas?" Deucalion responded, raising an eyebrow and sounding incredibly pretentious. His grin gave way to his sarcasm and his voice turned serious. "They won't know what hit them."

"Feels good to be home, doesn't it?" Derek asked and he clapped Scott on the shoulder, brother-in-arms to the end.

"Home..." Adian and Ethan looked hopeful and then Adian nudged his brother in the ribs. "Think Danny will remember you?"

"Shut up!"

"Ha! You were totally thinking it." The twins glared at each other as Kali stepped forward, eyes bright with excitement.

"Can't wait to see what fun I'll have here, it's never been a boring town for me."

"We're with you, Scott." Deucalion murmured gently, fingers brushing gently against his. "Your pack stands united and strong. As...as do I. I will always be by your side." Scott's eyes met Deucalion's and everything was said in that one glance. Both men gave shy smiles in return.

The family with him was strong, but there were some members Scott had left behind: his mother, Allison, Lydia, Stiles. He had a lot to make up for, but guilt wasn't the way. _If you're going through hell, keep going_.

Beacon Hills lay before them, quiet and calm in the early morning but darkness laying within its depths. Darkness they would banish. Certainty burned inside Scott and a wild grin came to his face. Scott McCall was back.

Raising his head high Scott howled into the sky, announcing his return.

.

.

The End.


End file.
